


Inventor's knight

by CMDAK, Tsuyu



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dragons, Inventors, Knights - Freeform, M/M, alternative universe, tags will be added as we post
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2018-08-18 16:51:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8169026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMDAK/pseuds/CMDAK, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsuyu/pseuds/Tsuyu
Summary: Knight Bond goes on the last quest assigned to him by Queen Emma. Adventures, dragons and love awaits him.





	1. Final quest

**Author's Note:**

> As always, we want to thank darling Boffin for being such a nice beta and dealing with our sleepy ramblings, weird grammatical constructions and mainly being amazing person!
> 
> The story is already written we just like to tease people in our FB group! :D

“Knight Bond," Queen M nodded towards blond man in silver shining armour. "We'd like a word with you after the supper." She raised her glass and took a small sip of the drink she was carrying around while everyone around them was busily celebrating the recent victory against Silva's armies.

 

The knight glanced at the woman he had promised his undivided attention after the ball was over and groaned internally when he saw the way she was eating banana, her green eyes fixed on him. He had finished a mission for the old Queen not two days ago and he hadn't had time to properly unwind.

 

“What are the chances for this talk to be nothing more than a pat on the back combined with a bag of gold and a promise not to be bothered for at least two weeks?" The woman just glared at him and continued sipping her drink.

 

"The bag of gold will be given as promised but a pat will have to wait. But after supper, no need to ruin the festive mood." She nodded and turned to her chief advisor, who was talking about some matters that were none of the Bond's concerns.

Downing the rest of the glass in one gulp he put it back on the tray for the passing servant and grabbed another.

"Well done, Knight Bond." A man slapped him on his shoulders. "Or should I say Sire now?"

 

James snorted in his glass, shaking his head. "Something tells me that it's a bit too early for that." He shrugged off the man's hand and went to face his date, already preparing a sweet speech to get out of the mandatory wine toss in his face.

 

"Lady Eve, I am dreadfully sorry but..." The woman just glared at him.

 

"Don't bother, I realised you are having a chat with our lovely Queen M after the supper is served. I am sure I will not be seeing you for weeks if not months to come." Her look was murderous.

 

"Your words are as true as they are cold, m'lady." He bowed his head a little, hand over his heart in a gesture that melted the ice around the hearts of so many women before. "I promise to-"

 

"Don't even bother, Bond. I am not that foolish." She sighed and tapped her foot, grabbing a glass off of a tray. ”I won't save myself for you, so don't rush."

 

Bond bowed again with his hand over his heart and left the woman alone. He knew when he was being released from his duty and his promise.

 

"Knight Bond, Queen M wants you at her table." Servant bowed low and retreated.

 

"To a brave new world..." Bond muttered under his breath and strolled to his appointed seat next to the Queen who was still having a debate with advisor Tanner.

 

"...upmost importance to do so before him," were the words that James managed to catch before Tanner fell silent and M turned her attention to him.

 

”We believe that Lady Eve has become softer if you are not sprouting a black eye after breaking the engagement that never was," the queen teased, her icy eyes narrowed. "At least we know that neither will shed tears."

"My queen is getting softer in her old age if she thinks me capable of crying."

 

"Bond."

 

"Lady M."

 

"Let us dine and then I have a task of utmost importance that I am certain only you can fulfil."

 

"Of course," he bowed his head in agreement. "I live to serve kingdom and the crown." He turned his sights towards the table and started looking at foods served for the aristocracy.

 

At one point, a long time ago, before his parents died, he had also been part of them. But then he was alone, the relatives that aided him wasted what was supposed to be his and then after one drunken night and a huge mistake, he had lost his title.

 

”Do eat your food, Bond. This might be the last good food you'll have for a long time."

 

"Yes, my lady." He bowed his head and dug in. Being a knight after he lost his title was the only thing left to do and in all honesty, the Queen invited him to these celebrations out of the courtesy for his dead parents, who've been close friends with her.

 

Bond tried to concentrate on eating and not all the chatter happening around him.

 

"Lord Bond, do tell us where Lady Eve is?" Some woman in dress that accented her bust asked him sweetly.

 

He was tempted to send the woman to hell, but he bit his tongue and forced himself to smile sweetly at her. "The lady felt faint and wished to return home."

 

The Queen almost laughed at James' lie, but managed to remain looking impassive and bored, slowly cutting her piece of meat.

 

"Give her my best wishes." The woman smiled seductively and returned to her own eating.

 

Bond hated the pleasantries people shared around the table knowing it was all lies. Pretending and looking for useful connections. He was almost glad Queen wanted to send him out on what he hoped was a long term quest.

 

As if reading his sudden eagerness to leave, the Queen sat up as did the rest of the room, people struggling to swallow the food - for it was not proper to chew while the queen talked and many thought it brought bad luck. ”We had fun, but we are tired and we wish to retire. The party may continue in our absence. ”

 

The people bowed their heads as the Queen passed by them. And James faithfully followed her out, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

 

"We expect you to do your best and finish this mission in the most subtle way you can, Bond," she murmured as she made her way to her room.

 

"Whatever her ladyship wishes, as soon as I know what the mission it is your highness is speaking."

 

The old woman swished her dress and sat down on the ornate chair she had. "You must find a witch. The name is Quentin, but he goes by Q. He is in hiding next to the Elders Forbidden Forest, a small cabin deep in the woods. He is hated by the citizens of his own village because they think he is a witch while we think he is a gifted man of letters and inventions.”

 

James blinked. ”Does your majesty wish me to send for the royal doctor?"

 

M hit him over the head with her fan, hissing. ”Did you hear everything we said, Bond? The boy is a gifted man of letters and inventions and we want him."

 

"I must apologise but I entered a state of shock after hearing the witch part." Great, he was going to have to drag a heap of barely moving bones after him while trying to dodge angry peasants that wielded pitchforks and torches.

 

"Enough with the jokes, Bond. If you come to fulfil this task and bring the gifted man of letters and inventions to us, we will relieve you of your future duties and will reinstate your Sire title. You will be free to roam the wilderness undisturbed and kill all those dragons you so wished to bring us." The old woman crossed her arms on her chest and frowned at him. "You can leave as early as tomorrow or the day after." She dismissed him with a wave of her hand.

 

Leaving the Queen's quarters got Bond thinking. He had to do this. He had to defend his parents’ honour and titles he so uselessly wasted. He went to talk with the good old Major, the man who was still the Queen's general despite his age. And the man who had always helped him with all the tasks he received, lucky enough to catch him just as he was getting into bed.

 

"James, my boy!" He exclaimed, his grey eyes shining with joy. "Your face tells me that you are here seeking guidance and access to equipment more than to see this wrinkled face of mine."

 

"Major, evening!" He briefly regarded the frail looking man. He was somewhat like a father to Bond when he lost his parents at the age of 11, even though there were times he wanted to rebel and disregard the older man's wisdom altogether.

 

"Sit, my boy, sit!" The man dragged a chair next to a table for the knight to sit and poured some wine he was hiding in his private basement. "What is it that's troubling you this late eve?"

 

"Well, as you guessed earlier, I need a bit of help." He looked at the glass and drank it in one go, his insides feeling warmer. "M is sending me to fetch a witch that's actually a gifted man of this and that and-"

 

"Oh! What joyous news," The Major interrupted him, pulling out some dusty drawings and putting them on his desk, running his hand over them. "Maybe I will finally be able to complete these and actually get them to work!"

 

"Oh merciful Lord, not you as well..." Bond exhaled.

 

"Now, now, my boy, if Queen M says he is a not a witch, but someone like myself, then he must be that. The common people often mix certain gifts that come out of being smart and witchcraft because sometimes it's just that and a bit of luck..." The old man looked sad. "But if the gifted man of letters and inventions she is talking about is from the Elders Forbidden Forest, he is the brightest of us all!"

 

"He? A man witch?" Bond pinched his nose. Those were even more difficult to deal with than the women. They would never listen to anyone, deeming them all incorrect.

 

Major hit James over the head with a rolled up paper. "First of, avoid calling him that. We, gifted men of letters and inventions hate that title. Especially since it usually brings rocks thrown at our heads with it."

"I'll make sure to hold my tongue in that case. Anyway, can you get me like a cart or something? Because I don't think an old man would like to ride on a horse. ”

"Old man?" The Major asked, dissolving in a fit of laughter. ”James, he's younger than you!"

 

Bond almost choked on his wine he was sipping. "If he is what you are at that age, I am sure there must be some witchcraft involved. No one has so much brain at a young age."

 

"Well he is one of a kind. If you must know his parents were lowest of peasants and even disowned him when he was as young as 13." Major frowned and then stood up and went to dig in one of his invention chests. "I am going to give you something that you must use as the last resort if he doesn't agree to come with you!"

 

As a last resort? For a young peasant that had been kicked out of his own family at such a young age? He could easily throw the scrawny thing over his shoulder and ignore his weak struggling until they got to the castle.

 

The Major clicked his tongue and flicked James' nose. "Don't even think about it, James. Treat him with kindness, not brute force. The poor boy is probably pretty close to snapping and I am disappointed in our Queen for taking this long to finally listen to my advice and send for him."

 

"I haven't said a word." Bond raised his hands up in surrender.

 

"I am sure you have thoughts regarding his travel here." The major grumbled as he was still digging in the chest. "Besides... It's already been 7 years since that time! Aha..." He pulled something long wrapped in an ugly cloth, gently caressed it and put it on the table, still wrapped in the ugly and dirty cloth. "When you meet him, give it to him..." The man was suddenly deep in thought.

 

Curious, James had to fight back the urge to unwrap it and look at it. "Are you sure it will work? And didn't you say to use it as a last resort?” He narrowed his eyes. "Are you implying that the second the brat meets me, I will need to use my last resort?"

 

"Well... If you continue with this attitude I am sure the very first try will be the last resort." Major frowned. "Keep in mind that he is a recluse. And I have seen him only once when I was visiting this village up North. He was selling locals some things he thought might help with the sowing. The idiots almost put him on fire. The silly buggers. After that, it's already been 4 years and I haven't seen him once. I know he still lives..." Major yawned. "In the forest for I've seen light from deep within." The old man slapped the man's hands away when James tried to peer inside the wrapped thing. "No looking at it, for he will know if you did. And he will know if you didn't."

 

James frowned even more deeply and stood up. "Good night, Major, I am sure I will be back in the fortnight."

 

The way the Major said that made his mission sound like a witch, but he was already in bed when that crossed his mind. With a final yawn and a shiver that resulted from not having anyone to share the bed with, James rolled on his side and willed himself to sleep.


	2. The three inns

James picked a horse that was fast enough to keep up with his but not outrun it and made sure he had enough food and gold coins to last for the entire trip - he hoped.

 

Yet, he got the feeling that he wouldn’t be as lucky if the nasty weather was any indication. Sure, it looked sunny and warm, but as soon as he left the town’s premises, it started pouring down so hard that he barely saw the road. He couldn’t even ride for more than half a day before he was forced to look for any kind of shelter.

 

And the bad luck just kept on coming as the sole inn towards the Forest was the Dog's Inn. It was a horrible, dingy place, with no good reputation whatsoever, but James was thoroughly drenched and needed something warm in his stomach so complaining or suddenly remembering his noble roots did him no good.

 

"Do you have anything to eat that won't kill me?" He asked the old woman who was missing three teeth.

 

”We might, but that's going to cost you extra."

 

Of course it did. "1 silver coin and if I get the runs, you and whatever cook you have back there better be really fast."

 

"Yes, milord." The woman glared daggers at him.

 

Bond went to the dingy bar and ordered a glass of ale from the barman. "Be sure to give me a clean glass." He muttered. Throwing a coin on the table, he took his drink and went closer to the fire, to warm his freezing bones again.

 

There was the possibility of the woman to have spat in his glass, but he decided that it was better not to think about it. He did, however, make sure that the door to his room was tightly locked and went as far as to place his own need in front of the door, falling asleep with his sword over his chest.

 

Bond woke up with a jolt. Opening his eyes widely, he checked if there was someone at the doors, thankfully so it was still tightly closed. He collected his spare belongings, washed his face with the lukewarm water that was in the jug and went out to have his spare breakfast and continue his journey.

 

The weather did not seem like it as if it was planned to be on his side, no trace of the sun on the grey coloured sky. And when he heard thunder from the direction he was heading in, he made the horses to go faster because he wanted to at least get out of the bloody country before pulling in another inn.

 

The service was better in the new one, even if it looked as ran down as the previous one. But at least the old woman that greeted him rushed him inside and draped a dry cloth over him, offering him something warm to drink in a clean glass before he she could even find out if he had money not.

 

"Greetings, traveller. Who kicked you out in this dreadful weather?" The woman looked at him worriedly.

 

"I am in search for someone. But it looks like it will take me forever just to reach the vague area of the Elders’ Forbidden Forest."

 

The woman clutched at her own chest, hands over her heart. "What pray god are you planning to do there?"

 

"As I stated, I am searching for someone. An old friend that I haven't seen in years, but to whom I made a promise the last time we met," he lied through his teeth. "However, this weather seems to be against me doing that."

 

The woman nodded slowly, eyes narrowed. "As it should be! And you should take the Gods’ warnings to heart as there is a witch living in those places and he's mad as they come and thirsting for blood even more than a wolf in the middle of winter."

 

Bond frowned at the woman's wording. Surely she was scared as all those villagers he have had met before and had a brief talk with. When asked for where he is traveling, his reply was usually met in similar fashion, everyone warning him to avoid the damned forest and the witch in it. And by now, James had no doubt that they were talking about the man of letters and inventions that M had sent him to find.

 

"Come along now, I have some soup left in my pots and I am sure I can muster up something else for a man like you." She patted his back and gently pushed him towards yet another fireplace.

 

Bond sat gingerly on the cosy looking armchair and relaxed a bit. Sleep had never claimed him as fast as it did now and he blamed it all on the warmth and the delicious soup, eyelids becoming heavier as each second passed. And the chair was so comfortable that he couldn't even be bothered to pay attention to the alarms that went off in his head. It was just him being overly paranoid, he was sure; this woman was nice and old and the soup did not taste like poison, so his mind had to search for danger where there wasn't any.

 

"I'd wake up if I were you," someone whispered in his ear and he frowned, shaking his head. "You either wake up, or she eats you, your choice."

 

Bond's eyes snapped opened. The old woman was leaning over him, grinning evilly and suddenly she seemed startled as she didn't expect him to wake up.

 

"I... I remembered that I need to bring something from my saddle bag." Bond knew the excuse was lame and he almost tripped over his own feet while staggering towards the barn where he hid his horses. Hastily putting the saddle back on and hastily urged the horses out.

 

"Oh mighty knight where are you running? Away?" Bond suddenly saw the woman's eyes flash red and her mouth when she grinned looked full of sharp teeth.

 

He pulled out his sword and pointed it at the creature, the inn around them melting away to show that they were in a cave. ”I tried to give you a way out, but you refused to take it," he growled and swung the sword, taking the creatures head off in a simple swing.

 

"Oh, well that was easy," the voice from before said and James jumped, sword still in front of him.

 

"Who are you? Where are you?" He demanded but no one stepped into the light.

 

"Just someone who likes to help people who might get eaten. Hope you find who you are searching for, knight."

 

James sighed and lowered his sword. He was once again in the dreadful weather. He was sure M knew where she sent him, and he now really understood why he was going to get his title returned to him after this adventure ends. If he came out alive out of this, that.

 

Pulling his weary body on the equally tired horse was a task he barely managed but he pushed himself forward, he had to do it. If not for the title and honour, then to show respect for his long dead parents. It took him a week to find another Inn, a real one this time. The innkeeper was grouchy, the glasses were dirty and the food was horrible and James had never been so happy to eat dripping omelette in his life.

 

"If you want a room, it will cost you one silver piece per night with two nights paid in advance,” the innkeeper grumbled, throwing a tankard at a very noisy customer. "And you settle down before I have Gus take you out!" A huge man lumbered out of the shadows, arms crossed over his chest and people calmed down. "So, knight, do we have a deal? Keep in mind that what lies after this is in the forest for two weeks and I am the only Inn.”

 

In reality, James had no option.  He had to have a decent rest before he ventured further into the forest. He didn't know if he would even find who he was looking for as now it seemed that the man was a myth itself. Some told him, the witch was old and lured young men and women into the little house deep in the forest and then killed them and ate them, others have said that the witch was actually a woman and lured the men in hopes to get pregnant and get a spawn of a devil in her bowels.

 

"Very well, keeper. Give me any room, 2 nights." He threw 3 silver coins onto the bar table and went back to his horse to take the saddle bag and tell a boy to give his horses the best herbage there was in this hellhole.

 

He was dead to the world the second his head hit the pillow, uncaring that he was being poked in the back by whatever the mattress was stuffed with and plagued with dreams of Inns eating them.

 

He did wake up rested and the food served was marginally better, the keeper acting nicer to him only because it was clear that he had money.

 

"If you don't mind me asking,” he did and he was already bored to answer the question that followed, "but what is a knight doing so far away from castles or battlefields?”

 

"Searching for someone."

 

"Are you on the hunt for the witch boy as well?" The inn keeper narrowed his eyes at him. "There already have been 2 other knights who wanted to find him and sadly I haven't seen them once they entered the Elders forest." He put a drink in front of him and Bond didn't have the guts to say that he was sick of the stale ale he's been served the night before.

 

"Witch boy, you say? Aren't witches usually beautiful women who turn into hags just as they are about to eat you or whatever?" James said slowly, trying to make it sound like he was a non-believer.

 

The man scoffed at him. "This is a boy. A wretched thing that was born right in this village. The priest told his mother to get rid of him before he even saw the light of day, but he had bewitched her from within and forced her to give birth to him. Sue only really woke up when he was 7 and finally saw what a creature she had cursed us with."

 

"Cursed you? Bewitched from within? Are you sure you aren't delusional?" Bond pretended to laugh. Surely the boy must have been smart and these villagers – recluses really – wouldn't believe a dragon was in front of them even if it was breathing fire down their necks. "Where is this boy now? Surely you didn't let him stay and continue with his evil ways?" He decided to add coal into fire.

 

The man laughed. "We ran him out of the village with the priest's blessing. But the wretched soul still lives in in the forest somewhere and pops up every now and then, probably trying to steal our children and eat them."

 

James tried really hard not to sigh and slap the man upside the head to see if he'd hear an echo or not. "Do you have, perhaps, a more accurate location for this witch boy?"

 

"He moves with the wind so he couldn't come in his little house in the middle of the night and put an end to him, the bloody witch." He frowned and leaned closer, his smell almost making James sick. ”So you are here for him, aren't you? Well, be careful and never believe your eyes because he will eat you and kill you."

 

"In that order?” James mocked and the man scoffed, moving to another table.

Bond took his horse from the barn and mounted it. Weather looked like it was going to rain.

 

"Sir, sir! Are you going into the Elders forbidden forest?" A frail child who it seemed looked after all the horses asked suddenly.

 

"Yes, yes, I am." Bond looked down at the boy, prompting him to talk.

 

"Sir, could you look for my sister in the forest? Mother used to say the witch took her, but..." He leaned in and whispered. "I've seen the boy and he looked like he couldn't hurt a fly or eat my sister. She is too bony to make a good meal for a witch anyway!"

 

First person Bond met that actually had something nice to say about the so called witch. ”I'll do my best, kid, but I can't promise you anything." The little girl might have been devoured by wolves or other creature that lived in the forest and he was not looking up to be the bearer of that bad news.

 

The boy nodded vigorously and even waved him out.


	3. The boy

The wind was picking up and Bond was sure it wasn't even a few hours away from the village and the forest was getting deeper by every step he went, he had to go on foot by now, the forest was too thick to try riding a horse into it and so old that there were no roads there.

 

He stopped when he felt like he got lost and let out a low cuss, startled when something hit his head.

 

"What is a knight doing so deep in the forest?" Someone asked from above and it took him a few minutes to find the young man that was munching on a fruit up in a tree, bare feet and ragged clothes.

 

Bond narrowed his eyes. Surely this could not be the witch everyone was so scared of. This man - no still a boy - couldn't be a day older than 20 was probably just another lost soul, wandering the forest. "I am looking for a friend of mine. He seems a tad unwilling for us to meet. Are you lost? Do you need help returning home?"

 

The boy jumped from the branch he apparently was sitting on and laughed. "Nope," the boy said simply, hands in his pockets. ”And would this friend of yours be the famed witch that has a knight coming after him once every week?"

 

James hummed, making the horse take a few steps back. "It could be, but what's it to you?"

 

"Oh nothing. Just a friendly warning as I've heard he eats those who threaten him and turns those who find him pretty into frogs." The boy ruffled his own hair and laughed.

 

James couldn’t help but join the boy’s laughter, something about the pure joy of it making it infectious. He was sure this kid was as lost and as cold as he was.

 

"Do you need help returning home?”

 

"I think I should be the one asking you that," James said slowly, holding his hand out to him.

 

The man frowned and looked at it for a few seconds before he started to laugh. ”I am sure that you'll lead us off a cliff, Knight."

 

James frowned. "Well, young man, if you know the area better than me it appears. Could you lead me to Duck's Inn as it seems I am lost in this dreadful weather?" The boy grinned hopped away, apparently hoping for the knight to follow.  "I don't suppose you've met this famed witch?" James said after a few minutes of nothing but the sound of the heavy rain falling and the man's humming.

 

”Well, I am alive, so I'll go with no," he said, now walking backwards so he could face him, hands resting on the back of his neck. "You here to kill him?"

 

"No, really no. I am here on behalf of Queen M herself. She is above this witch superstition and she thinks the man to be one of letters and inventions. She wants him in her court." He frowned. He had no idea why he was telling her all this.

 

"Imagine that..." The boy only muttered and it looked like they were on the open plane that led to the inn.

 

"I could have sworn it took me a lot longer to get where I was," James muttered, frowning.

 

The man chuckled, hoping back on one leg. "The forest is tricky and full of secrets. For a knight without any idea in which direction he's heading in, it will take days on end to reach the middle. But for a peasant such as myself, its heart is but 3 hours away." He closed an eye and twirled, looking like he loved being wet - and enough of the dirt had washed away for James to find him very pleasing to the eye. “You were just on the edge of it though, so don't worry and go back home before the witch gets hungry and leads you to a fake Inn or whatever."

 

"Wait, how did you-" James cut himself off when he saw that he was alone, shaking his head when else saw the footprints that led to the right and disappeared between the trees. "If you find a little girl, could you bring her back to her brother?" He called after him.  Bond was left in the middle of the field, being soaked through and cold once again. He nudged his horse back into the inn and towards the smirking inn owner who started laughing once he saw Bond coming closer and closer towards the house.

 

"Back so soon?"  James decided he will keep quiet as he didn't need more lecturing from the old man whose stench he couldn't stand.

 

"Are you planning on going again tomorrow?" The man's laughter was boisterous and the man clutched his fat belly.

 

The following morning, he heard laughter coming from the stables and saw the boy play with a little girl. "Is she your sister?" He asked and the boy forgot that he was a knight because he threw his arms around his legs and hugged him tightly.

 

“Thank you, Sir Knight. Thank you for bringing me my sister back!"

 

James patted him awkwardly and turned to look at the little girl who was now hiding behind his horse. ”Did you see the witch?” James asked slowly, trying to look as kind as he could.

 

"He said not to tell knights anything.”  That proved what James wanted to know. He jumped on his horse and was almost out of the village when he heard the inn owner mocking him.

 

"You are really pushing your luck, sir. Trying to find one, who doesn't want to be found."

 

"Maybe he does and he's just testing me," James yelled back and decided to follow the faint tracks in the mud that were small enough to belong to a little girl.

 

His cloak was ripped in a few places. He was cold and he felt his throat becoming scratchy and he was on the verge of sneezing constantly.

 

"And here you are. Lost again, I see." The musical voice sounded from behind him.

 

Bond had his sword drawn and at the boy's throat in a matter of seconds. The brown haired boy had his hands raised in the air in surrender.

 

"I give up, I give up." His throat bobbed as he swallowed.

 

James sighed. "Don't you know any better than not to sneak up on a knight? Or anyone with a weapon, for that matter?" He snapped.

 

The man let out a nervous laugh, still holding his hands up. "Didn't anyone tell you not to go searching for a witch on a rainy night, in a forest you don't know all that well?"

 

"I must find the young man. Before the villagers decide they need to put the Elders forest on fire, even though I doubt in this rain any fire can be put on fire..." Bond shuddered. He was so sick of this rain.

 

"Well..." The young man shrugged. "Do you need help getting back?" It looked like the boy's cloak repelled the rain.

 

Bond just nodded. "Thank you for finding the girl. Even if the girl still thinks a witch saved her"

 

"Kids hardly tell lies so if she said she was saved by the witch, then she was." The boy grabbed his horse's reins and started tugging him in a direction. "You'll get sick and die due to this witch hunt."

 

"Well, I highly doubt he is a witch. More like a man of letters and inventions, really. But," Bond has a decency to start clattering his teeth and shaking from freezing rain. "I must find him. If I do, Queen will grant me my title back. I must do this, to regain the respect my parents had and I had lost."

 

"Oh..." The man seemed sad all of a sudden, lowering his head. "Did they disown you?"

 

"No. They were already dead by the time I did the foolish thing, but even so... I want to get their respect back," James explained softly. "Are you... Why are you in the forest?"

 

"Oh I often go to the forest to pick berries and mushrooms. And occasional rabbit if I am feeling like it..." The man still looked somewhat sad.

 

"Are you living alone? Where is your wife? Parents?"

 

"Don't have one and my parents..." He trailed off and frowned again. "Let's take you back to the edge of the forest. Even you couldn't get lost from there."

 

James leaned close to him and flicked his nose. "Fine, I have no sense of direction in this place. But you do, so how about I pay you to be my guide?"

 

"I have no wish to find the witch, or be eaten for that matter." The man scrunched his nose adorably. "But a gold coin or two will be more than enough to show you around. I seem to be in need of shoes..." To Bond's surprise the big toes were out of the shoes and the boy seemed to wiggle them.

 

"You've been walking around like that?" James asked and the second the young man nodded, he pulled him up on his horse, covering his mouth and pushing the ice cold body against his. "I can't have my guide get sick on me. Do you live close? Take me to your home and I will pay you more than at the inn."

 

"I can't." The young man muttered.

 

"Why not?" Bond frowned.

 

"Because there is barely enough place for one." He mumbled.

 

"Then let me take you to the inn. I am sure warm food will do you good."

 

The young man felt like an eel in his grip, he was standing on the ground in seconds and tugging the horse to what Bond though was the edge of the forest.

 

"ABSOLUTELY NO!"

 

"I'll give you 10 coins and buy you new shoes and clothes," James insisted, forcing his horse to sit still. "Be my guide and nothing else."

 

The young man with brown thistledown hair just shook his head no. "I cannot, I absolutely cannot." At the same moment they reached the clearing. "Here you are. I should go now."

 

James hopped of the horse and grabbed the man's arm, draping his cape over his head and pushed 2 gold coins in his hand. "For your troubles so far."

 

"I... No..."

 

"I insist."

 

"Well thank you. You really are a true knight." And in a blink he was gone again. There a moment, and gone another.


	4. Stranger up a tree

 

James wasn't what one might call a brilliant mind, but he wasn't completely dumb either. He knew that this man had to be working for the so called witch. Why else would he refuse to be seen and why would he know the road so well in the forest?

 

"His name... I forgot to get his name," James groaned as he stomped into the inn, ignoring the old man.

 

On the third morning, he didn't even bother to go out because it looked like the storm was not going to pass any time soon.

 

On the fourth morning James was determined to find the young man no matter how long it took and ask him to show him where he lived because he was seriously getting worried about where the man lived because he started getting close to Bond's heart with his freely given advices.  Finding him ended up being easier than he had imagined. He simply got lost and sweet voice from above started teasing him again.

 

"Sir Knight, is this your hobby?"

 

"I assure you that I am not usually so disoriented, or such a klutz but it seems this forest enchanted me." Bond jumped down from the horse and looked up a tree to find the man sitting on a branch, swinging his feet like as if he had no care in this world.

 

The young man laughed again and to Bond's surprise it stopped pouring. "I am certain witch has bewitched you. It is rare that a man would go willingly into such forest in a rainy season none the less to find a sole human being. Or should I say spawn of a devil?" Sadness took over the younger man's face.

 

James chuckled. ”Pretty sure he is not that. What is your name?"

 

The man hummed. ”Names are powerful, Sir Knight. How do I know that you aren't the witch?"

 

“I doubt the witch could get lost in his own forest,” James pointed out, leaning against the tree. “Also, I might ask you the same thing, stranger up a tree.”

 

"Well, if I were the witch, I am pretty sure I would have eaten you by now, Sir Knight," the man said in the whimsical way of his, jumping out of the tree and grabbing the horse's reins again. "Will it be the usual, Sir Knight?"

 

James took a step back and bowed, hand over his heart. "Bond. James Bond. And you are?" The man hesitated, narrowing his eyes. "I told you my name; it is normal for you to give me yours. Nay, common sense and courtesy even."  Suddenly the wind started picking up and the young man looked like he was causing it. Thinking this to be one of the tricks the smart man of many things did to scare away the people Bond came closer to the man, he finally plucked out a jar old Major had given him to try and persuade the man.

 

"Your tricks won't scare me, fake-witch, as I have some up my own sleeve." He opened the jar.

 

Two small things shot out from the jar, so fast that James had already lost sight of them and he panicked for a moment until he saw that the young man was moving his head around, mouth slightly parted, eyes filled of amazement.

 

That only brought out the green of his eyes even more and James couldn't think of anything more mesmerising than that colour in that moment. "Beautiful," he murmured and the young man nodded his head in agreement, unaware of what James was referring to.

 

"I bet they would look even more majestic during the night, when their light would have stood out." His eyes finally focused on James, mischief in them once more. "Are you sure that you aren't the witch?”

 

"As I've said. I am only a knight to Queen M. And I am looking for a man that can create great things to bring to her court." He came closer to the other man. "May I know your name or should I just call you the smart one?"

 

The man started to laugh, shaking his head. "I am not this person or witch or whomever you are looking for. I am just a peasant who happens to know this forest because I pick berries a lot. But you may call me Q."

 

"That's and interesting name, Q. Your parents must have been very interesting people, to say the least." He regretted bringing Q's parents in the conversation the second he saw how sad and down he looked. ”Q--"

 

"Your gift for the witch is getting away, brave knight.”

 

"I don't care for it. If the witch is in this forest as people claim he is, and if he is as powerful as everyone around here talks about I am certain he will see those things, whatever those things are."

 

"If I am right... Those are mechanical fireflies... To light up..." Q cringed in the middle of his sentence, giving himself away.

 

"Peasant, you say, picking berries, you say." Bond was advancing on the slim man now.

 

Q started to back away, eyes narrowed. "I might have picked up a few things here and there, but I am not who you are looking for."

 

"Oh, but I think you are. No, I know you are, so let's drop the act." He lunged after him but Q easily moved away and broke into a run, James giving him chase.

 

Q was nimble on his feet and had the advantage of knowing his surroundings, but James had resistance. As long as he kept Q in his sights, sooner or later he would have the panting man draped over his shoulder.  It took James quite some time to chase the young man.

 

"Q, please wait—"

 

"Go away! You just want the reward..." He could hear the other man panting and he knew he was getting close.

 

"Reward? What reward?"

 

"Do not... Think me foolish... For thinking Queen will want me... In her court... No one would want me..."

 

James saw Q stopped suddenly, hands over his face and he rushed to catch him, easily picking him up as if he was a bride. "You think too low of you, Q. My Queen wants you and when Major Boothroyd heard that I was sent after you, his eyes filled with joy and he gave me those fireflies."

 

"Old Major was always so easy to please." Bond heard Q mutter under his breath.

 

"Please, Q. Can we at least talk somewhere where it's not pouring down on us?" He shuddered involuntarily.

 

"I don't want to talk to you about anything, so feel free to drop me and run back to your queen and tell her that the witch is dead," Q breathed out, struggling.

 

But James just held on tighter to him and called for his horse. ”I don't think so, Q. We're going to the Inn, drying off, and then talk."

 

"No... No... Please..." Q started struggling anew like a man possessed. "I... Please..."

 

"Either you offer another place where we can talk or that's where I am taking you. I am so sick of this rain that I am certain I am going to be physically ill soon."

 

"He'll kill me," Q wheezed out and dug his nails in James' back. "He'll call the town's folk and-"

 

"We'll go wherever you want," James promised. "And I won't let anyone kill you. I am your knight and I will protect you."

 

"My knight..." Q whispered barely believing it. Then determination set on his features and he added. "We can go to my home. No one will disturb us there." He was sure when Bond saw his 'house' he will turn on his heel and run away, leaving his horse on the way. Everyone did.

 

James smiled, struggling a bit to get on his horse and place Q in front of him, happy for the shared body heat that warmed up his bones and made the rain bearable. ”I can't wait to see it."

 

Q hummed but said nothing else. He simply guided the horse with careful nudges until the forest gave way to a clearing and then more trees, twisted and old, only a bit of light breaking through the thick branches.  They rode in silence between trees so old they were as thick as James' waist. 'At least the rain had stopped.' The knight had thought. At the same moment his horse gave a loud whine and they ended yet in another clearing, but this one had a small house. It looked like the roof of the tiny cabin was made out of hay and he couldn't see a handle on the doors.

 

Q jumped off the horse and stood tall and proud.

 

"I am certain a knight like you find it below you to stay in a tiny house with only one room that serves as kitchen, bedroom and living room all in one." The young man looked sad again. "I hope you had your fill of the witch and are willing to leave now."

 

James scoffed and jumped down the horse, tying the reins to a tree stump. ”Quaint, but not below me, Q." He walked up to him and grinned, holding back from leaning against the house just I case it was booby trapped or in case it would fall down under his weight. "So, how do you open the door?"

 

"That is my secret." Q pressed what looked like a tile out of place and the doors suddenly opened. "Mind your step. I can't let Lucile to run away. She is too much of a home animal with hunger to hunt mice and rat."

 

Bond barely had a moment to catch up with what Q said before a cat appeared out of nowhere, trying to trip him and then run away. He gently grabbed the feline across her scruff and pulled her up in his arms.

 

Q arched his eyebrow. "Traitor, that's what you are," he whispered as he made his way to a little chair that was in front of a table covered in all sort of strange parts, pulling out the two mechanical fireflies from his shirt. "Well, knight, your tired bones are no longer getting wet and that traitor to keep you warm, start wasting your breath.”

 

The cat let out an offended mewled before jumping from James' arms in favour of seeking forgiveness from his master, uncaring that he was covered in mud.

Bond remained standing. The tiny house was even smaller on the inside. There was small fireplace with a single pot and a kettle next to it, next to it stood two chairs and a table and next to the sole window stood a bed good enough for two with a thin duvet and no pillow.

 

"Is there no courtesy to offer your guest a drink?" He smirked.

 

"You are no guest, just an invader. Most persistent I must admit, but invader no less." Q had some kind of a small tool in his hand and was tinkering with one of fireflies.

 

"I did not break in-"

 

"You wouldn't have been able to break in," Q said smugly.

 

"You let me in and thus, I am not an invader," James pointed out, reaching the kettle in less than 6 steps. "What's in here?"

 

"The previous knight who didn't consider himself an invader."

 

Bond just glared at Q. "Really now, I've told you I don't believe in witches and you think me foolish enough to think you made tea out of a knight." He pulled the lid off and sniffed the liquid inside. "Mint tea. Ha!" Bond stood up and grinned.

 

Q raised his eyebrow. So far he's been impressed. None of the Knights before even bothered to talk with him. Either too keen to kill him or kidnap him. 'Like Silva!' His mind supplied.

 

"Are you a knight or a cook?" Q teased, sighing in disappointment when he saw the insides of the firefly. It was based on gold and the only gold he had was from James which he wanted to give to the little girl and her brother.

 

"What's wrong?" James asked right in his ear and Q jumped on his feet, head-butting the knight.

 

"Owwwww..." He rubbed his forehead. "And nothing of importance...." He closed the firefly and put it back into the jar, next to the others he had. It was a reminder to himself what a failure he was. Not a witch but what a scientist without funds could do.

 

"And I am both. A knight and a cook because I fend for myself alone."

 

"Good for you," Q murmured, dragging his finger down the jar before walking to the fireplace to heat up his tea. ”Start talking because I am tired."

 

If it was nothing of importance, than James was a king. "Work for my queen and you'll have everything you need."

 

"And if I don't, will you kill me?"

 

"Why are you so fixated on being killed?" James looked around for a mug but only found one.

Q only fiddled with the things on the table. "If I agree to go with you, do you promise not to force me into exile?"

 

"Do you always answer question with question?”

 

"Do you always do the same?" Q snapped, clearly angry. "My life is on the line. My life has always on the line. They tried to burn me since when I was 7 for fixing the bloody mill!"

 

"Well I am of curious nature." Bond smirked. "If you go with me, I will personally assure you, that no harm will come towards you." He put his hand over his heart, in a manner of honour. "I assure you that you will have more than mills to fix!"

 

Q sighed in frustration. ”And I will ask again: if I say no, will you kill me? Try to kidnap me?"

 

Bond frowned again. It seemed that premature wrinkles will scatter across his forehead because the boy was so confusing at times. "No, I will not but then I will stay together with you so as to gain your trust and convince you that my Queen's and my intentions are good." He leaned in close and added. "Did someone threaten to kidnap you?"

 

"It doesn't matter," Q murmured munching on his thumb. ”I will come with you on one condition." He felt evil for asking this, but he wanted to be sure that he could do this. ”I want one gold coin from you now and then I want you to give the little girl from yesterday 2 more gold coins."

 

"Is that all?" Bond actually laughed before he could stop himself.

 

"Yes, that is all." Q's face remained impassive even if he felt hurt how a man could waste such big money so easily. But then again, maybe it was just Q. He lived all his life alone in the wilderness along with his cat and random passer-by who dared to venture too deep into the forest and didn't run screaming at seeing a young man living alone in a shed.

 

"What is it?" Bond enquired.

 

"My cat, I want to take my cat with me." Q closed his eyes and waited for rejection to come. James really did his best not to laugh, but his best was not enough. He was on Q's bed, laughing loudly and holding his stomach with both hands.

 

"If I can't take my cat-"

 

"You can, you can, of course you can,” James wheezed out, wiping tears from his eyes. "But you looked so serious that I thought you'd ask for the moon.”

 

Q frowned and hit James with the only pan he had in the house, hugging tightly his cat. ”For this, you'll give the little girl 3 gold coins!"

 

"I'll give her 10 if you stop hitting me with that rust on a stick." He felt bad for saying that only because Q sat back down on the table, slouching. "I didn’t-"

 

"We'll go after I am done with these and after the little girl tells me that you gave her the coins. And if anything happens to my cat, I will walk back here if I have to."

 

"Whatever you want, but while you're at it, maybe you could make me some tea, if it's not much!" Bond sat up on the bed and made himself at home.

 

"Oh yes, sir knight, of course." Q stood up and mock bowed to the older man, still clutching the cat in his hold.

 

"Will you have a lot of stuff to take with you?" Suddenly Bond looked concerned at the amount of cluster, that littered the place.

Q shook his head and his curly hair ended up in his eyes, which he tried to push out of his sight with thin fingers. "No, just my notebooks." He showed two battered and ripped at corners notebooks which looked like they've seen better days. "But I am sure your horse won't like traveling with two passengers for a long time."

 

Bond looked like Q grew another head. "I have a steed for you. Did you think you will have to walk?"

 

Q looked baffled. ”You got... For me?" He looked excited for a moment and then terrified. ”I don't know how to ride one." He suddenly disappeared out the door and before James could even think of something, he was back with an armful of branches. ”I'll heat up your tea and melt the gold coin at the same time, so be warned that it will get hot in here."

 

“I can tie your horse to mine and teach you how to do it on your own on our short breaks," he said slowly, holding a coin out to Q. "Why are you melting it?"

 

"For the fireflies. Their insides are made of gold and I want to fix them." Bond just pretended to understand what that meant and nodded. He actually had no clue how Major made those mechanical things fly or glow like real fireflies. "You have no idea what am I talking about, do you?" Q put his head on his hand and looked at Bond curiously.

 

"I am not petty enough not to admit that I have no idea what you were talking about." He started to tug on his shirt and cloak, the room already hotter than before. "But please carry on explaining because you look like you are truly enjoying it."

 

And James was enjoying it because he was full of life and his eyes were even more intense and now he took his shirt off and although thin and bruised, he still made him drool.  James had to admit that he had never seen a man being so passionate about anything, and he'd seen plenty of the world, doing tasks for his Queen.

 

"And if you put the liquid gold into the mechanism it will fuel the firefly and will make it glow but as it gets cold quite quickly, they run out of power and you have to refill because some of the gold leaks out of the item." Q showed him one of the flies and in his eyes it started glowing. The young man put it in a jar and closed the lid and then put it on the table.  The light reminded Bond of candle light but so much more warm and it lit up all the little house with just two of them along with fireplace.

 

"An expensive trinket,” he whispered, tapping the jar lightly. ” Beautiful, but expensive.”

 

Q hummed, digging through some papers. ”I actually managed to improve the design to the point where they would use only a bit of gold encased in a gem to keep it protected from the heat generated by the mechanism of the firefly." The drawings made little sense for James, but Q was leaning really close to him and tracing them with his finger. "And I made them in the idea to be used during night battles. They are big, yes, but I doubt a soldier studied to see how big a firefly gets."

 

"That indeed they don't." James laughed out loud and then yawned. Sleeping in the inn sometimes ended with headaches some mornings and loud screaming the others.

 

"We should go sleep now as long road awaits us. And I have to get some of my things back from the inn. Hopefully the owner won't sell the for a bargain." James muttered.

 

Q turned to look at him, eyes narrowed. "I don't remember offering you my bed, Sir Knight."

 

"You don't expect me to sleep on the floor, do you?" James stretched and yawned, eyes barely open. "I'll pay more."

 

Q sighed, turning his attention back to the second firefly. "Take your shoes off."

 

"Oh yes, kind owner, whatever you say." Bond laughed and stood. He took off his cloak and his garb and his heavy leather shoes and was left standing in an overall suit of underwear he had.

 

Q just gestured towards his bed with a wave of his hand and was pulling out a set of tiny thing that reminded Bond of claws.

 

"I hope you will join me." Bond patted a spot next to him, when Q suddenly became scarlet he hastily added. "Just to sleep, I have no ill intentions."

 

"A knight wants to sleep in the same bed as a peasant that is supposedly, if we believe in rumours, a witch. You must be out of your mind. "

 

James grinned, trying to make some sort of a pillow out of the straws. "That I am, Q. But what about you? You who lives alone in such a dangerous place and spends his days rescuing strangers from this forest?"

 

"I am a witch," Q murmured, fully focused on what he was doing. "Don't roll over my cat in your sleep."

 

"So, will you join me when you're done?" James insisted and Q just hummed, already lost to the real world. "First time I am being ignored when I am in this state of undress, honestly.”


	5. Nightmares

Bond woke up suddenly. He was surprised to find himself on a straw bed with a flimsy duvet and a thin body pressed close to his. The man in his arms was shuddering.

 

"Q... Q? Do you have a fever?" The man was mumbling something under his breath and continued to shudder.  James pulled him closer still, covering him better with the duvet and rubbing his back, trying to hear what the man was saying. ”Q, are you alright?" It sounded like the man was having a nightmare or a heated argument with someone.

 

"No... Please... Mother... I... Didn't mean to... Father, please... I swear I won't... Never again... Please..." The shuddering continued and soon Bond could feel hot tears in the crook of his neck.

 

Using his sleeve, James wiped Q's tears away, trying to rouse him gently. ” Q, you're safe," he whispered, rolling the man on his back. “Q, open your eyes now, “he commanded this time, shaking him.

 

"Don't... Leave... Me..." Suddenly Q's eyes opened and he wanted to sit up which resulted in Bond and him smacking foreheads.

 

"Q—"

 

"Ouch!" Q exclaimed, holding his head. "Is the bed not enough for you or what?" He pushed James away and rolled out if the bed, digging through the house.

Bond remained quiet but he was alarmed when he saw Q putting on the thin cloak he had when they met, it was surprisingly dry but still so thin.

 

"Where are you going? It's midnight." Bond exclaimed and wanted to slam his head into a wall because now he sounded like a spoiled knight from Queen's court.

 

"I am going to get some frozen water for this bloody bump you gave me with your big, hard head." Q stumbled out and James quickly followed because frozen water wasn't in 'season'

 

"Q... Please, wait!" They were suddenly outside and it was raining and Bond was standing barefoot in a puddle while Q turned a corner behind the little house and disappeared from the sight. Hastily going back to the room in order to pull his shoes and some of the garb on he was surprised to hear the doors closing and Q standing in the doorway with a bucket literally full of ice.

 

"Where do you think you are going?" Q shook out the water from his cloak and put it back on the hook.

 

"I was coming after you but..." James trailed off, eyes glued on the bucket. ” Is that real? Or am I dreaming?" He shivered and yelped when Q pushed the ice down his back.

 

"There, is that real enough for you?" Q asked as he put a piece in a cloth and then pushed it against his head. "Give me another cloth so I can give you one before people think you have a horn and drown you in holy water."

 

James looked around and after finding a somewhat clean rag he pressed it in Q's hand and watched with curiosity how the man filled it with what really looked like snow and pushed it against his own forehead.

 

James pressed it against his own forehead and groaned. It felt so good and lessened his headache tremendously.

 

Q sat on the floor, pulled some papers under his head and draped the cloak James had given him over himself. "Don't step on me or you'll lose your leg," he warned and James realized that Q planned on sleeping on the ground.

 

"What in the name of God do you think you are doing?" James was confused. "We are supposed to share the bed."

 

"I am certain that was a mistake, Sir Knight!" Q muttered.

 

James slunk to the floor, next to Q. "I promised to protect you and I will do that even against your-"

 

"A dream," Q whispered, curling in on himself. "Forget about it and let me sleep." He didn't protest when James moved closer to him, relaxing a bit. "And don't go looking for that water after I fall asleep or else I'll turn you into a toad."

 

"Sure, Q. Whatever you say!" James smirked and gently pulled the sleeping man onto the bed. Of course the man didn't even protest because he slept like the dead until the nightmares started again.

 

He hugged Q tightly and hoped the nightmares would go away with his whispers, even daring to brush his lips against the side of his face because he remembered that his mother fixed everything with that.

 

"What are you doing now?" Q asked in a weak, shaky voice, hurrying to wipe his tears. "You should go back to the Inn if you have urges."

 

"I have no ill intentions, Q. It's just your nightmares... And my mother..." James shook his head. "Doesn't matter, I will stop touching you if you only wished I stop, don't hesitate and let me know."

 

While he was expecting Q to kick him out of the flimsy bed the younger man just snuggled closer to him and whispered. "You are warm so I will allow this. Just no funny business or I will not hesitate to turn you into a toad and carry you around like my pet!”

 

James chuckled, brushing some of the wild hair away from his eyes. "Would you hold me in your shirt if you turn me in your pet?" He joked and earned himself a kick to the shin, Q's cat continuing his master's revenge by digging his sharp claws in his back. "I'm starting to rethink your beast coming with us."

 

Q sat up and poured the rest of the ice down his shirt, going to his desk. "Do that and I am staying right here!"

 

"Now, now." James raised his hands in surrender. "There is no need for harsh decisions."

 

"Do that again and I will not hesitate." Q glared at him.

 

James gave him a strained smile, pointing at the cat. "You have yourself a deal, Q, but will you be kind enough to get it off and maybe also be kind enough to give me something to stop the bleeding?"

 

Q sighed and patted his leg, the cat instantly coming to him. "Darling, what did I say about biting things that we don't know where they've been?"

 

The cat blinked up at Q and looked like it understood what he was saying, but still turned around and glared at James – the fluffy demon probably felt that he was trying to steal his master’s attention and affection.

 

Q pulled out a thin, white cloth from a package and a bottle of something that smelled like alcohol and sat down next to James, shamelessly pulling up the knight's shirt to look at the wounds. "You might feel a prick," he warned before starting to rub a piece of the cloth over the bleeding marks.

 

"Christ!" Bond recoiled slightly. "Do you plan on killing me?"

 

"Quite the contrary, I am doing this so they wouldn't scar." Q pulled the cloth and it felt sticky like honey on his skin. "There, all done. You can remove it in a day."

 

"You could slap armour on your cat and send it in battle as a mere soldier and return a general," James grumbled, expecting Q to lie back down.

 

But Q hopped out of bed and lit the fire, pulling a new pair of slightly less tattered pants and heading towards the door.

 

"Where are you going at this crack of dawn? The sun is not even in the sky yet?" James muttered.

 

"It clearly shows that you are a spoiled knight. We lowly peasants need to eat and I need to pick berries before idiots from the village came and trampled them all down." Q found a shirt and was looking for his cloak which it seemed James had hidden.

 

"Did you misplace something, my little witch?” James asked in a teasing way and Q growled.

 

”I'll starve or get sick. Unless that has been your plan the entire time, give me back my cloak," Q added after a thought.

 

James tilted his head and thought for a moment, tapping his chin. "How about we head back to the inn so we can enjoy an actual breakfast and then head to the castle?" He offered instead, holding his hand out to Q.

 

Q slapped the hand away, glaring. "Are you aware of the fact that villagers think me witch and what they’ll do if I showed up there? How little time it would take them to create a pyre on which they’ll burn me without a second thought?"

 

With a growl, James was on his feet and had pulled Q to his chest. "They'll have to go through me first if-"

 

"I am not leaving today with you, so go back to the inn and eat," Q interrupted him, struggling to push James away. ”Get lost in the forest and I'll find you when you're done.”

 

Finally managing to find his cloak Q was gone in moments and Bond was left standing alone in his undergarments looking confused.

 

“But what if I get lost on my way to the inn?” James called out after the illusive witch, the wind howling as his only reply. “Guess I’ll get ready to fight all sorts of creatures then,” he muttered, not holding back from kicking a stone on the ground like a sullen child would do.


	6. Rain, stew and... Dragon?

It felt like his horse knew the way back and it was actually not that far from the inn if heading in the other direction.

"Alas, sir knight. I was already thinking of taking your second horse as a payment." The innkeeper looked falsely overjoyed.

James grinned. ”I am afraid that I am not that easy to kill." He threw two golden coins on the counter. ”Don't give my room away,” he muttered and the sleazy man chuckled, rubbing his hands together before picking up his extra payment. “Also, do you know any place in town that makes actual food? The one that doesn't kill you?"

The innkeeper was too busy biting down on the gold coin to notice the insult. "Oh but Sir Knight we also have an excellent cook here my dear old wife who has been visiting her mother up until today. But since she's an actual cook-"

"Are you seriously trying to get more money out of me?" James asked, tapping the hilt of his sword and grinning in the most disturbing way he could. The inn keeper recoiled when he saw the knight taping the handle of his sword. Bond was known to be a hot-blooded most of the time and it took him just a few petty things before he went for violence approach.

"There is this one old woman who is making passable stew if the mood strikes her fancy but I should warn you, sir knight that most of the time she tries to rob people of her money and poisons them instead... My wife on..." He stopped his monologue when he saw Bond reaching for the handle of his sword again. "Right, she has a small house next to the forest. You won't miss it, it's all alone. People think she might do a bit of dark magic as well."

Bond rolled his eyes. Everybody was a witch to these people. "I am sure she will not make me anything poisoned. The stable boy... Is he still in the stable?"

The man snorted before he could stop himself and quickly took a step back in case he offended the knight. “His title fits him as he practically lives there. I am a kind man, despite what you think.”

“And you make him sleep in the hay instead of letting him sleep at least in that small room under those stairs?”

"Well he chose that himself. Nobody forced him to." The sheepish smile was back.

"And is that so his sister can stay with him as well?" Bond narrowed his eyes.

"Knight, you may find yourself on the position to throw golden coins left and right, but I have to struggle to see a single one at the end of the year," the innkeeper grumbled, frowning. "If you are so kind and caring, why don't you take them to your castle or whatever and give them a better shelter than I do?"

Because he didn't do kids and his way of living was dangerous. "I'll give you three more gold coins and you'll let them live there until I send someone for them."

"Five coins and I will see that they are given shelter.”

The man had to be greed personified, but at least he wasn’t firing up the cauldron to eat him. "If I will hear that you are cheating and abusing them I will have you punished!" Bond threw a bag with coins inside. He left the inn. He didn't want to stand in that man's presence for longer than needed. And then it started raining again.

"Bloody rain," James grumbled as he made his way to the old woman, managing to fall in a small puddle that turned out to be deeper than he thought.

“Trying to learn how to swim, stranger?”

"No, actually trying not to drown. Quite the weather you are having here..."

The woman actually had the decency to laugh while he tried to dust the water from his cloak and trousers. "Well, come on in, I have some soup ready for you and some tea I think you'd like!"

"That's very kind of you, my lady," he said slowly, remembering that the last time someone was so nice to him he had ended up in a cave and almost devoured. “I won't be in the soup will I?”

The woman laughed. Melodious and loud. So different from all the people in the village.

"Certainly not, knight. But I am always helping those in need and it seems you are in need for something warm and dry."

"Thank you, my lady. Might I bother you for some food for two?” He stripped and shivered violently.

The woman tisked. ”So quick to undress, sir knight. Me thinks that is a really bad habit of yours. ”

"I am sorry, ma'am. I just have to come back to someone and I feel like he is going to be ill in this weather." Bond sat close to the fire in the cosy little house.

"It isn't for the witch in the woods, is it?"

James choked. ”There's a witch in the forest?" He pretended to act innocent, the woman's narrowed eyes telling him that he was failing. ”Why would I do that? Don't they try to kill people, or put horrible hexes on them or whatever? I think you should get someone here to rid you of the witch if you have one."

"I never thought her majesty's finest knight, the one she sent to find the witch, does actually believe in such a ridiculous nonsense." She put a plate of what looked like a stew in front of him and added. "And the other pot next to the fireplace is for Q."

"My, but you are full of surprises," James said as he started to devour the food, moaning in pleasure. ”This is very good. I should drag that innkeeper here to see what real food is."

"I am more than sure he won't even step close to my humble place." She dusted off her skirts that remained remarkable dry in the dreary weather and went to pour Bond a cup of tea. "I will be in my treehouse if you need anything else before leaving." She patted him on the shoulder and left James alone.

Tree house? Well, the woman sure was interesting. "Would you tell me about Q? You two would be great friends. "

"Before you get silly ideas into that blonde head of yours, Q actually built it for me before he left." The frown made the woman look extremely angry. "You have no idea what they did to the poor boy. Especially the burr-mister Silva, damn that Spanish man to hell and back." She surely was cursing like a sailor.

"I am here to take him away," James said slowly, reading to defend himself if needed. "My queen heard of his brain and she is interested in having him work for us."

"Oh thank the gods for that." The woman exclaimed. "The boy and that brain of his... I have no idea what is he doing in this village. He is too smart for it."

James let out a sigh of relief. ”From what I've gathered, it is not safe for him to leave on its own and that forest he lives in is a perfect defence."

The woman leaned and pinched James' cheeks. "And if you get a single scratch on him, I will turn you into a tree, cut you down and then use you to keep him warm. And I will make sure that you will feel everything."

Bond pulled at his shirt neck and swallowed visibly. "I swear on the honour and my knighthood that no harm will befall Q." He then narrowed his eyes and added. "If you could turn me into a tree, then that means you are a witch! A very powerful witch that man should fear."

The woman managed to make it seem like she was towering over him and he remembered the first time he had met M. "And tell me, Knight of the Bond family, will you burn me at the stake?"

"No," James said honestly. “Powerful as you are, you are also kind, so I will only ask that you stay safe because if anything happens to you, Q might be hurt by his own heart."

The woman only smirked and resumed whatever were the things she was doing. “Very well. I am certain Q will be just fine in your care.” The woman only smirked and resumed whatever were the things she was doing

Bond was still munching on his stew when a man barged into the house. "We're doomed," the man shouted, grabbing James' shirt and shaking him. "The witch has finally brought the end of the world on us!"

The old woman grabbed James' hand before he could smack the man, surprising the knight would her strength. “What on earth are you blabbing about?”

"The dragon! The dragon came from the forest! It's breathing fire. The witch! The bloody witch will be the death of us!" He was flailing his arms around like the man possessed.

James sighed, tripping the man. “My apologies, kind sir,” he said quickly as he picked the man up by his hair and slammed him down on the chair. “Can you be a little more specific?”

“There is a dragon which came out of the forest. And the elders along with Eberhousen think the witch called it in revenge for all the years we kept him out of the village.” The man was wringing his hands. “I knew we shouldn't have banished the kid when he was only 10!”

“He is not a witch and he didn't call a dragon,” the woman said as she pushed a mug of something hot in front of him. "Although I do agree that you shouldn't have chased him out just because you didn't understand how that invention of his worked."

“Witchcraft,” the man said quickly, making the sign of the cross and throwing salt over his shoulder. “And now we will all fry.”

Bond stood up and fixed the handle of his sword. "There is this one place I must go to and afterwards I will come with you and face the dragon."

"Bless you, Knight Bond and all your offspring." The man was almost on his knees in front of the knight

The woman was smirking up at him. "Don't forget the stew!" She chided.

"Yes, ma'am.” Bond grabbed the small pot which was almost too hot to handle and left in a hurry. He made a quick stop at the inn to check on the children, instructing them to run to the forest if they saw anything bad coming towards the village and then continued on his way, taking his hands off the reins once inside the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're sorry it took us so long to update it. RBB and real life is getting in the way but worry not, the fic is written we're just posting it in an irregular patterns.


	7. One witch, fake dragon and a stubborn horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wild dragon appears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for being so late at posting. RBB and life got us in it's headlocks.

The horse moved slowly, but James tried his best to be patient, sighing as he took in the sights. It was a beautiful forest even if it reminded him of a giant maze, one in which he wouldn’t want to enter in the middle of winter since the wolves had to be huge and very hungry.

"Alas sir knight of Bond family. Here we meet again." Q's melodious voice rang from far left.

"Q... We must get out of here." Bond turned around and gaped when he saw Q jumping from a tree branch up high.

"So soon?" Q whispered sadly.

"We must get out of the forest in case the dragon..."

"There are no dragons in this forest or mountains nearby." Q shook his head. "I am not sure they exist at all." He huffed and crossed his arms.

James shook his head, dismounting. ”We'll discuss the veracity of dragons when we have a decent distance between us and this place. Are you packed?"

"I wanted to stay one more day-"

"Q, if you stay here, you will end up being toasted," James interrupted him, placing the reins of the second horse in his hands. "Now tell me where your items are and let's go."

"What do you want me to do with the horse?" Q asked, looking honestly confused.  
James looked like Q grew a second head.

"Q, please, please, please tell me you know how to ride a horse?" He rubbed his temples and was dreading to hear the answer.

"Bond, think..." Q snapped at him. "I live in the woods, alone. I feed on berries and mushrooms, I've never been outside of the forest and the closest I ever came to a horse is when I ran away from the village and angry villagers trying to catch me and put in me into a prison carriage and take me to the fireplace to be burned!" It looked like Q wanted to add something more but there were screams of scared people coming closer to them and a bizarre roaring sound.

"Just get on the horse," James grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Or get on mine, but either way hold on tight and direct me to a string of water. Preferably next to a cave."  
Q snored, grabbing James' hand to get up on his horse. “Dragons aren't real, you know." He was still clutching the reins of the spare horse but otherwise he was clutching the knight tight. "I'll have you know this is the very first time I am on the horse."

James just chuckled and nudged the horse where he thought is the edge of the forest. Q was still rattling about the horses and dragons when suddenly a dozen of people burst into the clearing.

"Run!!! Run!!! The dragon! THE DRAGON!!!" Screamed the same man whom James talked to with at the woman's house.

"That cannot be real," Q muttered, trying to sit up on the horse to get a closer look at him. "The climate is not right for them and the air is not right for them."

James squeezed Q and forced him to sit still. "Run for our lives now, discuss this later, okay?"

"But the dragon..." At the exact moment a ball of fire rolled after the running people and a roar followed while a dragon with golden and silver scales. He had small wings and Q couldn't believe they would even lift him in the air.

"That is not real," Q practically shouted, clinging to James for dear life. "That is a lie, a machine!"

"Looks pretty real to me, Q. And it looks like it's searching for someone."

Q cringed at Bond's words. "No, that can't be. It's a myth." The hold he had on Bond's waist became tighter. "Tell me you won't leave me."

"Q... I came to take you away to a castle..."

"Promise me..."

Risking, James placed a hand over Q's head, ruffling his hair in an attempt to make him feel better. "You have my word, my promise, and I will even swear on my owner. Plus, if I wanted to leave you, I wouldn't have come back here for you after finding out about the dragon. “

Q looked up at James hopefully. "Honestly?"

At the same moment the roar of a dragon came again. It seemed that it as stomping towards them and no matter how hard the knight nudged the horse it was rooted to the ground and wouldn't budge.

"James... What are we going to do?"

‘We'll burn’ was on the tip of his tongue, but James bit down on it to keep himself from saying it. "Are we far from a river or lake?" James asked carefully, eyes on the dragon.

"Just beyond the trees behind us there is a small cliff that has a deep lake on its bottom. I wash myself there as the water is warmer," Q replied, terrified of the realization that the dragon was following his every movement.

"Can you walk there slowly? Just don't run as then he'll start chasing you!" The blonde helped Q get of the horse as it wasn't going anywhere. He dismounted the horse as well and pulled out his sword. "Whatever you do, Q, just don't run!"

The brown haired man looked terrified beyond belief.

"You want me to do what?" Q hissed.

"Jump in the bloody lake," James said slowly, throwing rocks at the dragon's head to get his attention.

"Do you expect it to drown? I'll have you know it's not that deep a lake. More like a pond. Besides," Q suddenly looked greenish. "I am afraid of heights."

"Well, what else do you think we can do?" Bond gestured towards the villagers who had pitchforks for self-defence and not even one of them had a sword to begin with.

"I don't know! Dragons aren't real," Q said stubbornly, pushing against James’ side when the creature roared. ” Have you fought such a creature in the past?"

"Not really," James admitted, "but water is their weakness and water is where you will be safe."

Carefully, James started to back away from the dragon, pulling Q with him.  
And the dragon followed them like a moth to the light, following it to its imminent death.

"Bond... I don't know how to swim!" Q suddenly exclaimed as if he realised that fact the first time. "Oh lord, what are we going to do!?"

They were at the edge already and the dragon was still advancing onto them.  
"I'll jump with you-"

"You'll do what with me?" Q interrupted him, shaking his head. "No, that is a terrible idea, knight. Your armour is too heavy and I panic!"

"Well, it's either that or we fry. And frankly..." He trailed off and pushed Q closer to him, closing his eyes as he jumped into the lake. And if that lake wasn't deep, then he was a king.

They heard the dragon roaring behind and then suddenly trying to bat his tiny wings in order to avoid the water and then there was an ungodly screech and the roaring stopped.

Q was flailing with his arms and legs while Bond in his heavy armour still managed to drag them out to a shore while panting heavily and spluttering water.

"Was that necessary?" Q was coughing next to him but he still managed to mutter that.

"Well, we are alive for you to nag me about my plan, so..." He shrugged and glanced up, noting that there was no smoke, fire, or yells. ”So he really was after you.”

Q choked. "A creature that doesn't exist--"

"Doesn't exist? You saw it yourself! "

"It's probably mechanical. It cannot be possible for this kind of animal to exist. Look at its wings!" Q exclaimed. "It's ridiculous."

Bond felt his eye twitch. Q with his denial even when the proof was in front of him made the blonde twitchy.

"Q, it flew."

The man huffed. ”I have heard of this inventor who had sketched a flying machine-"

"It breathed fire," James tried again, but Q looked even more stubborn.

"Another machine incorporated in the flying one and the scales could be from fish and of you kill enough lizards-"

James covered Q's mouth. ”Either way, it was after you."

"I... I... I don't even know what to think... Unless it's..."

"Silva." Bond finished for Q. "I know he's been trying to catch you, but he is not that smart to create a dragon. Besides this one looked too much alive and not a machine."

"But the..."

"Q, I've met my fair share of dragons, I know how they look."

Q sighed, rubbing his face. "Why would Silva need me if he can control an actual dragon? That's got to be much cheaper than to have me create an artificial one."

"The ways of the idiots are not known." Bond replied casually as they finally got enough strength to move further on the shore. Both there lying on the ground, gazing at the skies.

"Imagine that... We outran a dragon!" Q suddenly laughed.

James laughed as well. "Yes, yes, we did!"

"Wonder how he's being controlled though," Q whispered, falling on his back, rolling on his side to look at James. "Any idea, knower of dragons?"

Right now James wasn't sure that he knew how to breathe properly, Q's eyes so green and shining with innocent curiosity and his red lips so close. He moved to cup his chin, but his brain started to work just in time. "Did you eat today?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"I am not. I am just concerned for your wellbeing. And for the controlling of dragons, for that you'd need a witch." James looked at Q again. The man was now on his back so he could freely study his profile.

"Hm... But you and I both know witches don't exist!" Q's brow creased in concentration.

"Well, there was that old innkeeper in the forest who-"

"She had tubes running from her cave to the zone where you entered. She burned some mushrooms that made people see things," Q interrupted him, sneezing. ”we need to start a fire..."

"Well... I am certain it's just a machine some mad scientist got to test on a witch!" Q crossed his arms in front of himself.

"Q..."

"Are we going now or what?" James sighed, shaking his head. They were going to face that dragon sooner or later and then Q will have to face reality when the beast's head rolls at his feet.

"We're going, we're going. Want to ride on my horse or yours?" Q muttered something under his breath. "What was it?"

"On yours." Q mumbled his thanks when James stretched his hand for the other man to take and climb on the horse. "Have I mentioned that I dislike riding horses?"

James chuckled. "You'll like it once you learn how to do it. You won't ever want to stop riding it." He wrapped his hands around Q's waist and arranged his legs. ”Now take the reins."

Q turned to glare at him. “Are you insane?"

"No, I am perfectly in by right mind, don't worry, Aston is a trusty companion." James nudged the horse gently with his feet. "He got me out of the tightest spots."

"I don't trust anything that is between my legs!"

"Oh really?" James laughed.

Arms crossed over his hands, but leaning back against James just to be sure he wouldn't fall off, Q snorted. ”Yes, really. I tried to ride a donkey when I was young. The thing got scared when they threw rocks at my head and threw me off. Almost trampled me."

"Do you trust me?" James asked slowly, getting the impression that Q was not catching his drift.

Q nodded without hesitation. "If you were this horse--"

"Oh, you want to ride me?" The elbow in his stomach told James that it finally dawned on Q. They were getting out of the forest and nearing the inn when Q started getting fidgety.

"Don't worry about anything; I will protect you from them." James hugged Q closer to himself when the young man suddenly decided he needs to get off the horse.

"I will wait outside, no need for me to go in."

James rolled his eyes. "You will do no such thing.” He grabbed Q and pulled him off the horse, holding him bridal style. "I will kill them all if needed."

"If you kill them, then they will be sure beyond a doubt that I bewitched you,” Q hissed, struggling. ”Best say that you are taking me back as a slave-"

"I will do no such thing," James cut him off. "Now stop struggling before I drop you in the mud."

"But James," Q looked at him with concern in his eyes, "that's true. If you take me in willingly, they will be certain I bewitched you, or put you under some sort of so spell."

Q was struggling again and Bond almost dropped him once. Sighing James carefully put him down and then draped his cape over him, making sure to cover his face. 

"There, no one is going to know it's you." He picked him back up again and kicked the door open.

"Ah, sir knight!" The inn keeper snarled at the same moment Q wanted to come back with a witty reply. He pressed his lips into a thin line because speaking meant the innkeeper will recognize him and then think James under a spell.

"Yes, innkeeper? What seems to be the problem?" He held Q closer to him, pushing his head in his chest to cover his face.

“I was wondering if you saw the flying beast or if you were too busy with..." He trailed off and gestured in Q's general direction, frowning.

"I am certain your question answers itself if I am here instead of fighting some beast. I will be leaving tomorrow in the morning, but in the meantime I'd like a warm bath for my companion, I hope that can be arranged." He looked man in the eye as if daring to contradict him or argue.

"As the sir knight wishes," the man said between gritted teeth, forcing himself to smile. "But that's going to be extra. Heating up water is a lot of work and it uses a lot of wood."

"Of course it's going to be extra. Everything here is for an extra. Tell us when it's ready. And no need for the maids, I will service my companion myself." At that Q raised his head so fast that the hood almost slipped and showed him the old man.


	8. Hugs are useless

The second they reached the room, Q slipped out from James' hold and ran to the other side of the bed, clutching tightly to the cloak. "I can wash myself!"

 

“I am sure you can and I will leave you to that, but if I wouldn't have mentioned that, the innkeeper, no matter how terrible he is, would have sent in two maids to accompany you, and knowing your distrust in people of this village, I thought it would be better if I said I'll do it myself instead of the two women who will surely think you a witch as you are so keen on calling yourself!” James crossed his arms in front of him and looked at Q who was fidgeting again.

 

“Good then because you like to touch more than I am used to,” muttered Q before starting to strip. “My parents didn't touch me as much as you did. Then again they did try to drown and burn me.”

 

Bond came closer to the other man and gently gripped the other man on the shoulder. “Oh Q...”

 

“I don't need your pity. I've been fine all the 24 summers I've spent alone. I don't need..." James suddenly enveloped him in a loose hug. Q's hands hovered for a second before he started to lightly pat James' back. “I said I was fine. I don't know how to react to this.”

 

“Oh darling Q, you just wrap your hands around me like this.” Bond took the younger man's arms and wrapped them loosely around himself. “And you hold on for much you want.” He felt the arms tightening around his waist and a head was pressed into the crook of his neck.

 

“This feels useless,” Q said stubbornly, rubbing his face against James' neck. “I don't think I missed too much if this...” He trailed off and took a deep breath and moved away from James, hiding his face. “The innkeeper is taking his sweet time with that bath.” And he was strangely happy with that.

 

“Come here, Q.” James gently took the other man by his arm and enveloped him in yet another hug. He felt the other man breathing deeply and squeezing him back tightly for a moment. “Closeness is not useless, if you come to enjoy it.”

 

“It's really strange.” Q admitted, continuing to rub his face against James. “But I think I might like come to enjoy it.” He moved his hands down James' back. “I saw someone do this near the edge of my forest. Is this okay?”

 

“Yes, my darling Q, it's more than ok.” James hugged him flush against his own body.

 

There was suddenly a knock on the doors. “I bring hot water for our fair and brave Knight Bond!” Came the muffled voice of a woman from behind the doors.

 

Q suddenly jumped back as if burned. “Hide! I must hide in case—”

 

James quickly caught him and pushed him against his chest, hiding him in their capes. "Come in," he ordered, grinning at the shocked look he got. "Put the so - called tub by the foot of the bed and leave the water there. And heat up a few more buckets."

 

"Yes, sir knight." There was some shuffling and a bit of wet mess before all the buckets with warm water were flushed into the bathtub and the two maids started to leave, the one that did all the speaking still looking crossly at the figure in sir knight's arms. “Harlot,” was said in a quiet, yet clearly understandable whisper.

 

“They're jealous that they aren't in my arms and married to me, darling,” James said loud enough for them to hear, grinning. “And rest assured that if they were not women, I would have challenged them to a duel.”

 

“There is no need for that.” Q suddenly got distracted. “A real... Bronze bathtub...” Suddenly James saw tears in Q's eyes and came closer to him and enveloped him into a hug from behind, gently rating his head on the fluffy haired man's shoulder.

 

“Is it not to your liking?”

 

“No! I mean, yes. I mean... I've never had a real bath in a real tub. You must think me so foolish.”

 

James chuckled in his ear. “I don't think you foolish. I just want to help you do all the things you didn't do until now.” He started to untie Q's cape. “What else is it that you want to do? Tell me and I'll do it for you.”

 

"I... I've never had cake... Or pork... There weren't pigs in the forest I could catch and rabbits were much easier... And I've never had a black tea. I remember mother and father had it with my brothers and sisters every afternoon and I wasn't allowed as I wasn't worthy... A freak!” Q turned around again and started to undress when there was yet another knock on the doors.

 

James had made to reach for Q to pull him back in his arms and assure him that he was anything but that, but the knock at the door distracted him. "If it's the water, leave it by the door. And one golden coin for whoever brings me black tea. Two coins for pork and three for cake."  He could hear the scrambling of the feet and someone thundering down the stairs.

 

"James," It was one of the few times Q referred to the knight by his given name. "There is no need... For this..." He gestured by his hand all around. "I've already promised to go with you to your queen. There is no need to waste your money on... Me..."

 

James smiled, pulling the man's shirt over Q's head carefully. “Darling, how about you let me decide if I am wasting my money or not? Let me spoil you like you deserve to be.”

 

"But why? What is in it for you?" Q looked so thin. He was malnourished. Bond realised he fed on berries and roots but didn't he even have a goat for milk?

 

"Why not?" James asked back, tracing Q's ribs. "Did you ever have milk?"

 

Q turned slightly red. "When I was younger, before I..." He trailed off and frowned. "Do you want to bed me and discard me like a harlot?"

 

“Q, you shouldn't think I—”

 

“But what other reasoning do you have to spoil me with such things?" Q got rid of his breeches and was standing in front of fully dressed knight naked. "Doesn't matter... It's for you to take. I don't... mind..." He shuddered and hugged himself as if trying to stop the shivers that wracked his body.

 

James first instinct was to hug Q, but he mentally slapped himself and held back. Instead, he carefully took Q's hand and helped him get in the tub. “Your body is yours, Q. You decide who you should share it in your bed or anywhere else.” He took the clean rag from the edge of the tub and started to gently rub his back. “Understand?”

 

There was only a brief nod he got in reply as Q hugged his knees close to his chest.

James, being a considerate man and a Knight tried to stop his mind from going a mile per second and stop thinking about how Q was abused by his family and everyone around in this village. He was so immersed in the methodical cleaning and counting of Q's vertebrae that he almost missed the knock on the doors.

 

"Cake and tea, Sir Bond!"

 

James put the cloth down and went to get his bag of gold coins, taking out the amount he needed and opening the door just enough to get the tray and pay whoever had finished doing his task. ”And extra coin for moving so fast," he said as he practically slammed the door in their face, kneeling next to Q. "Best to drink the tea now before it gets cold and I'll was you. Just be careful because it might be hot and I don't want you to burn your tongue."

 

Q gingerly took the offered cup; it was real porcelain so he almost accidentally poured the tea onto himself while trying to inspect it.

 

"Are you sure you don't want to..." He gestured vaguely towards his body and blushed lightly.

 

"Q, if I'll want anything more than your companionship I will be sure to ask first." James smiled at the younger man.

 

Q smiled into his cup. ”Thank you and... I am not going to turn you down." He was temper to duck under the water, but the cup of tea prevented him from doing that. "Do you think I can find someone who..." He started to ask but made the mistake of turning to look at James and lost his nerve. ”Ah, the tea is making me say really strange things."

 

James just laughed at him. "Let me wash your hair. I just saw that they gave us rose petal handmade soap. I am sure you will love the smell of it."

 

Q gently put the cup down and sank into the water, wetting his hair. "You can do whatever you like and know that I'll always let you."

 

James chuckled and leaned close, brushing his lips against the base of Q's neck. "Let's get you to safety first, introduce you to more people who actually have a brain and then tell me if you still want me, okay?"

 

Q just shook his head and while water scattered and splashed everywhere, neither of them paid attention to it.   "It doesn't matter. You..." Suddenly the chocolate haired man shook his head. "It's ok if you don't want me, I understand."

 

"But haven't you said that you are a man of this and that and not a witch?"

 

Q blinked. ”What does that have to do with anything? Wait, if I were a witch, a good one, what would--"

 

"Not kill you, I swear. But I meant-"

 

"Then what does me offering myself to you on a silver platter have anything to do with me being a scientist?"

 

"Well, I've been told people like you are very smart. Above normal smart, and I am not telling you aren't smart... But..." James fell silent. He leaned in and brushed his lips against Q's nape again.

 

Q shivered, turning redder. "I'm feeling strange," he uttered, making himself smaller. " _Something_ moved," he said slowly, trying not to panic.

 

James gave a throaty laugh. "Don't tempt me so, darling Q! Now let me wash your hair." He took the vial with the soap and poured it into his palm. He added a bit of water and lathers Q's curls with it. It was so tangled he needed to find a comb.

 

"I am sorry, you're not the one who's feeling _this_ ," Q grumbled, tilting his head back even more to give James more room, eyes close, sighing in relaxation. "This is nice. I never knew washing could be so nice. And I am not sneezing," he muttered, not really realizing that he was saying it aloud.

 

"Why would you sneeze?" James chuckled as he scooped water and tried to rinse the suds out of the curly hair. It was becoming like finest silk.

 

"It seems I always sneeze when there are petals around me." Q turned his head to look at James. "Thank you for this. It means a lot to me!"

 

James stared at him, cupping his face. "This is literally the least I could do for you. An honour and a pleasure, Q." He almost brushed his thumb against Q's lower lip, but caught himself just in time. "We should change the water."

 

Q abruptly stood and James was suddenly facing his flat stomach. "I still think I must feed you at least 8 times a day for your bones not to be sticking out." He had the courtesy and the decency not to look below the younger man's waist. "Let me help you, alas you slip." He reached out his hand for Q to take. The other man slowly stepped out of the tub and tried to stand on the wooden floor and not the bear rug there as.

 

"Stand on the rug before you get cold. I will change the water. Just a moment."

 

"I shouldn't be standing while a knight of Queen Emma's changes the water!"

 

James easily picked him up and placed him in the middle of the rug before focusing on the tub. "Like I said before: I am willing to do anything for you to be happy and healthy. Also, after you meet M, I am very sure that you will be my superior, so get uses to ordering me around.” He popped open the windows and stuck his head out. “Watch our below!" He shouted before pouring the dirty water out.

 

"How can I be above a knight? I, he who has been created from the loins of a farmer and birthed from a seamstress? "

 

James chuckled, adding the clean water in the tub. "By being smart,” he said simply and kneeled in front of Q, taking his hand. "I will be your tool and I will not mind."

 

"I am sure you would not, but I would. I would never ever force someone else to do things on my whim..." Q looked at James who meticulously poured the remaining hot warm water into the bathtub, concentrating on the strong arms and hands which were now checking the temperature.

 

"It's all set!"

 

Q carefully slipped back in the tub and took his cap of tea, smiling as he sipped. "If this is a dream, I'll be quite upset," he whispered, relaxing.

 

James grinned and slipped his hand in the water, pinching Q's lower back. "I am most certain it is not." James replied when Q yelped and almost spilled all the precious tea into the water.

 

"James, please stop before I spill this..."

 

"I'll buy you a new one," James whispered in his ear, starting to rub his back. "And soon, you'll have money to buy yourself ships full of this thing."

 

"Why would I have that much money?"

 

"Queen M needs your expertise in crafts and science. And did you ever think that she is going to take it freely and not get anything back in return?" James looked like Q grew a second head, asking such silly questions.

 

"Silva..." He started, but shook his head. "Never mind. Can I live with you?" He asked instead, grabbing his arm.

 

"Live with me?" James sounded surprised.

 

Q just hunched over and tried to make himself smaller. "Never mind, forgot I asked. It was stupid idea, overall."

 

"You will have your own--"

 

"Forget I asked," Q insisted, louder and more sullen. ”Thank you for all you are already doing for me, sir knight."

 

James wanted to go back to be called by his first name.  "Q... Please..."

 

"No, I don't want to talk about it. I understand it, I understand... Of course why would you want a witch living with you?"

 

James had enough of it. He sat next to Q and gently lifted his chin. He saw tears glistening in the emerald eyes and the young man tried to turn his head away from Bond's prying gaze. "No, I want you to look at me," James said slowly. ”I am not a good man; I bed people left and right, feel their heads with sweet nothings, and then find a new person." He pushed Q's hair out of his face and rested their foreheads together. "You deserve someone better than me and right now you only think you want me; but you'll know better once you meet other people who won't treat you like the morons in your town and you will really feel something for them."

 

Q moved away from James, holding his hand up. "I understand," he tried to say coldly only for that to be ruined by a little whimper. He had made a fool of himself in front of the knight, but that will stop right then. "I only ask you to forget that this conversation ever happened." Q realized he needed to have better control of his tongue around the knight before he was once again acting like an idiot his mother told he was.

 

"Q... Stop berating yourself over this." James looked at the storm that was certainly going on behind the man's green eyes. "Trust me. You will understand what I am saying once we are in M's court."

 

Q gave a short nod before turning his head away. He didn't point out that he was going to have to get dressed in his dirty clothes which completely nullified the bath he just took because James would have gone to get him new clothes. He moved away from his touch when the knight tried to rub his back again and held back from drinking more tea and tasting the chocolate. He made a mental note to pay him back every golden coin that James spent on him because he was not a harlot and his fee for going to see the Queen had already been agreed upon and paid.

 

"Aren't you going to drink the remaining tea?" James asked jokingly but seeing Q shrink even more irked something in his gut.

 

He stood up slowly and went to the wardrobe he had and pulled out a pair of woollen breeches and a shirt. Blonde took them closer to the bathtub once he saw Q towelling himself off.

 

"I got these for you, surely you didn't think of going to the queen dressed in rags that are dirty and wet." Seeing Q cringe Bond wanted to smack himself on the head.

 

"Thank you," Q said lowly and made to take the clothes from James, frowning when the man held them away from him.

 

"Can I help you with this?” The knight asked and Q frowned, shaking his head.

 

"I know how to put actual clothes on me, thank you very much." He took the clothes away from James and sat down on the bear rug, pulling the breeches on. ”Are we leaving right away?"

 

"No, not right away. We are to have dinner, which I've asked to be brought into my room, then have a restful night and leave in the morning." James rattled off their schedule. "We will reach the Queen's castle in a week if the weather will be on our side and no interruptions of dragons come forward." He grinned down at Q who was now busy pulling on the shirt and managed to tangle himself in the sleeves. "Here, let me help you, I insist."

 

"No, no," Q said as he rolled away from James. "I know how to do this. I can build all sorts of things so I can out a shirt on." He tried to untangle himself, hissing under his breath. ”Even my cat.... My cat!" His darling companion, his beloved friend, was cold and alone because James won't run as quick

 

"I must leave, I must find her!" Q suddenly was quick as a lightning bolt. He barely put on his shoes and was out of the door at the same moment when a maid was trying to knock at the doors.

 

"Q, wait!"

 

"WITCH, THE WITCH IS HERE!!!!!" The maid screamed at the same time.

 

James groaned, tempted to ignore that she was a woman and he was a knight and punch her in the face, but he kept on running after Q. "Wait! Q!"

 

The man disappeared into the forest and James got instantly lost, even tripping on a root and landing in some mud.

 

"So much for a calm night inside. With a lovely man too..." James muttered trying to pull his cloak tightly together and not to get even more lost


	9. Broken?

“Come on, Q! I am sure you won't find your very _black_ cat at night! Q!" Only owls returned James' calls.

 

"She finds me," Q's raspy voice came after a minute and James was so startled that he threw his sword in his direction before he could stop himself.

 

There was a gasp and someone hit the ground.

 

"Q... Good gods, Q! I am sorry..." James tried to see the young man in the darkness. Walking like a blind man and feeling the ground below his feet, he tried to walk closer to where he heard the falling of a body.

 

"You almost got me, my love," Q groaned out, whimpering. "My leg hurts. I think I broke it."

 

James quickly gathered him in his arms, hugging him. “I didn't mean to… I could have… I told you not to sneak up on me!"

 

"I didn't sneak up on you. And are you at your wits end for throwing swords at people or just strange sounds?" Q hissed when James tried to move him to stand. "I am sure it's not broken. I just stood on it wrongly and I think into rabbit's nest at the same time.”

 

"We're not risking it," James growled. "I am caring you and the demonic thing that just sank its claws in me back to the inn. And don't even think about saying anything that aren't directions to the inn," he added before Q could start to argue.

 

"But James, they recognized me. You have to leave me here. I am the witch they keep mentioning." Q tried to keep his voice steady, there were so many things happening and he wasn't ready for this.

 

"That’s utter nonsense brought on by the pain in your leg,” he murmured. “I promised that I would fight until my last breath to protect you, and you ask me to just abandon you in the forest now?" James caressed his cheek gently. "Now when you need help?" He stood up slowly and wobbled a little. It was dark, the ground was wet, and the added weight of a skinny man (and a cat) surely didn't help.

 

"They are going to kill you in your sleep and then drag me in the middle of the village and burn me," Q breathed out, shivering and holding on tighter to James. ”Let me sleep in here--"

 

"For a scientist, you sure have a hard time understanding certain things,” James growled. "I will keep you safe; they won't kill or hurt either one of us."

 

"No, James, just leave me..." Q started struggling more fiercely. "You do not understand." He finally managed to stand on his own two feet even if he had to grab the knight's shoulder to hold himself upright. "Come and see me in the morning. I will be fine in the forest."

 

"Q, you are being utterly ridiculous and I am not letting you go." James grabbed onto his arm and started dragging him towards the village. "If you aren't coming willingly, I will have to drag you."

 

Q's eyes widened. ”You act nice and kind and caring, but you are just like Silva!" He shouted and his cat jumped on James' face while Q sank his teeth in his arm, trying to free himself.

 

James flinched and yelped, trying to maintain his footing and hold back from slapping the cat away. “Q... No! Raoul Silva was a terrible man. I would never..." He suddenly released Q and backed away. "You know I'd never..."

 

"How do I know?" Q was shivering while holding onto his cat tightly. "You come into the forest, try to shower me in gifts, promise me the world and stars above and I... I fall for you. Silly stupid Q once again falling into the same trap twice in two summers." Q inhaled deeply.

 

James remained right where he was, even though he wanted to pull Q to his chest and hide him under his clothes while assuring him that he couldn't be more wrong if he tried. "Q, I just want you to be comfortable and treated like you deserve while also keeping you safe."

 

"If they know who I am, I am not safe. And I assure you that being tied to..." Q clicked his tongue, huffing. "I am tired of explaining this to you. I changed my mind; go back to your queen and leave me to my forest."

 

"No! I do not have it in me to leave you wandering defenceless in a forest. What if a bear attacked you?" James crossed his arms. "Besides, where will you live? Your little house was destroyed by the dragon if you recall."

 

Q clutched his chest. "I... The forest is full of caves," he whispered, "so cease your act and get out of my forest."

 

"Q-"

 

"Get out!" He shouted this time. "Aren't you tired of making a fool of me? Or did your queen threaten to take your title and head if you come back empty handed?"

 

"As a matter of fact, yes..." James muttered. "But that doesn't matter anymore." The knight put his hand over his heart and bowed his head in respect. "So long, Q. I wish you all the best." He turned around and started looking for a way out but he was so lost that he couldn't even find the small road he came here from the village. "Could you... Um... Help me find my way out?" He added lamely.

 

Q glared before sighing, slumping. "If it's a trick and you kidnap me, no matter how much and how long you torture me, I won't build anything for you or your Queen."

 

James bowed his head lower still. "That is not our way, even though the queen tends to go in a fit of rage every now and then at something I do.”

 

“Good, then.” Q glared at him, still hugging his cat. “Do try to keep up; you’ve embarrassed yourself enough for a lifetime.”

 

James remained silent as a grave and Q was thankful for that. Sometimes it was better to be quiet and just be.  The walk didn't last more than five minutes and his slow walk turned into an outright limp, James unable to keep quiet when he heard Q whimper.

 

"Let me take you to that old lady."

 

"Not bloody likely.” The way he whimpered as he said that tugged at James’ heartstrings, the complete opposite of what Q wanted to do.

 

"Please, Q, you are injured. You need help. If you won't accept my help, at least accept it from someone else."

 

Sighing, Q nodded his head. “But if it's a trick--"

 

"I swear it's not," James interrupted him and picked him up bridal style, hugging him tightly while also slipping a bag of gold coins in his pants.

 

They reached the clearing in what felt like mere minutes thanks to Q’s instructions and James had to do a double take because he could have sword that the house was a lot closer to the forest now than it had originally been.

 

He thought himself to be hallucinating at first when a sudden bright light flashed in his eyes, growing bigger and brighter the more he stared at it, but then he started to feel weaker the more his eyes stung and what little common sense he had finally kicked in and he actually remember how to worry.

 

"What did I ask you not to do?" The woman asked in a hiss, suddenly standing right in front of James. "Hurt him," she answered before he could. "And what did you do?"

 

“He’s not entirely at fault,” Q surprisingly jumped to his defence. “This is Sir Bond of Her Majesty’s court and he saved me from a dragon, out of all things.”

 

"We've already met." The woman hissed without moving a single muscle in her face. "Well, don’t just stand there like a useless lump of muscles and armour! Take him inside before something else happens,” she barked at him.

 

James shivered and complied, carefully lowering Q to a chair. "I didn't mean to," he said softly, fingers twitching. "I... really, Q, you can't expect me to let you sleep in the forest! I would have killed any and every one would have dared try to lay a finger on you."

 

"Yourself included?" The woman asked, glaring at James like he was trying to set him on fire.

 

"Lucia," Q chided gently.

 

"Darling Q," she came next to the young man and caressed his cheek. "I've told you not to trust people. And what do you do? Go off and find yourself yet another knight."

 

Q turned red, remembering that he had also offered himself to the man on a silver platter. ”I don't want to talk about it."

 

"Did this one managed to kiss you?" She insisted and Q groaned louder.

 

"Madam Lucia, Q never did anything of the likes. He only promised to go with me to Queen Emma's court. The queen herself is in need of his expertise in crafts and machinery..." Bond looked at Q, trying to change his mind. "And I've made a fool of myself and ruined it all again."

 

Lucia easily grabbed his ear and tugged on it. "Sneak back to the inn and grab your horses and things. Those two rascals as well. You two are staying here and you, Sir Knight, if you make my Q so much as cringe..." She trailed off, the uncertainty of his punishment making him shiver slightly.

 

Bond nodded at the same time Q shook his head.

 

"Lucia, I think this sir knight has more important duties to attend to than to take care of me and two bastard kids without a mother."

 

The woman clicked her tongue. “It’s the least he can do, Q. Plus, vengeance aside, you know what that old bastard will do to him for being seen in your company, right?"

 

Q sighed, nodding his head. "I just...." He mumbled something that sounded like since he had asked the knight to bed him, he simply wanted to die already.

 

“I will be back before dawn with everything,” James promised.

 

"Sir Knight..."

 

“I must insist you start calling me by my given name. Unless you are deadly allergic to the name ‘James’, of course.”

 

Q turned his back to him, even more upset and embarrassed. This is what he got for trying to give someone who didn't deserve a second chance.

 

"Make sure you find the kids," Lucia said with a voice full of worry. “They were also seen in Q’s company and that innkeeper has no soul."

 

The knight nodded and left at once, Q feeling more than a little uncomfortable under Lucia’s glare – so the knight had been good for something, who knew?

 

"He's just like Silva, but smoother," Q eventually grumbled, hugging his cat tighter. ”I said that I don't want to go back to the inn and he tried to _force_ me!"

 

"With a sword and threats of death or other unsightly things?"

 

"Well... No... But he did try to drag me back?" Q muttered, while petting his cat, the purring making him calm down.

 

"Darling, how many times I told you to leave this goddamned village." She came closer and cupped his face. "Why do you insist on staying here?"

 

"That's not the point! He says he cares and that he wants to protect me and yet when I tell him that I don't want to go somewhere, that I am terrified out of my mind of that place, that it makes me ill, he says he doesn't care about what I say and that he'll make me go there!"

 

"Oh darling, brave new world, as they say." Lucia smiled at him. "Soup? You look like you need it."

 

"No matter the world we’re in, no still means no," he grumbled. "And yes please. Oh and can you give my darling something?"

 

“Like you even have to ask.” Lucia said and the cat was instantly rubbing against her legs, mewling so pathetically that it was easy to think she was on death’s doorstep. “Anything for this little bundle of joy and nothing but plain water for you.” Q frowned and she chuckled as she the bowl of soup in front if Q. “Just kidding, my dear friend." She frowned when she looked at his swollen leg. “I am afraid it's sprained, Q.”

 

Q sighed. “I was hoping that the pain would die down and that the swelling would go away with the help of a few cabbage leaves, but if it is sprained…” He trailed off, resting his face in the palms of his hands. “No doctor will see to it, I know."

 

“Well, that settles it.” Both the woman and Q jumped when the knight’s voice came out of seemingly nowhere. Even though he was soaked to the bone and he had two shivering children hiding under his cape, he still found a way to be as quiet as a cat “You _have_ to come with me to take care of your leg.”

 

"Or I could saw off my leg—"

 

"No!” The little girl suddenly yelled and ran to him, trying to somehow hug him. "You said you'd teach me to climb trees and how can you do that if you only have one leg?"

 

"Well, I can always make a wooden one. I’ll probably end up looking like a pirate if I do that though.” Q looked thoughtful while the little girl was horrified to the point of tears.

 

“He is jesting, darling. Aren't you, Q?" James asked and glared at Q while Lucia surprised herself by actually cheering for the knight. Q was a very stubborn man and it was pleasing to see someone else try.

 

Q sighed. “Using children against me is really low, knight,” he grumbled, looking dejectedly at the tearful girl. “But I will come with you to that gilded cage you so want to put me in.”

 

“That place is anything but a cage, Q, I promise. And I'll take you to the next town to fix your leg because I am sure they don't know how you look like in there."

 

"But it will cost money. So much money. I cannot let you spend more on me as it is." Q crossed his arms in front of himself and frowned, soup getting cold, forgotten on the table and

Lucia seriously considered hitting Q on the head to see if she heard an echo or not – but alas, hitting wounded people was frowned upon and something told her that the knight would cut off her arm even before she knew what was happening.

 

James hung his head. "You got hurt because of me, Q. Let me pay for that if nothing else."

 

Q sighed, rubbing his eyes, too tired of fighting with his need and the little world he had around him. “I... I will meet with your Queen. But I make no other promise.”

 

"There is no need to make any other promises. I am content with having your company while it lasts." James sat next to Q and took his hand into his own bigger one.

 

Q looked away, hating the way his heart was pounding in his chest. "Lucia, I am not feeling well," he murmured, falling on his side.

 

"Q, are you well?" James was caressing his face now. "I must put him into bed and set his leg straight. It will take a couple of days before we reach another town that has a doctor..." He looked hopefully at Lucia.

 

"The sir knight said we will have something..." The young girl snapped her mouth shut when the boy kicked her in the shin.

 

Lucia chuckled, pointing towards the cupboard. ”Q is just fine, even if the tips of his ears are red. Confused and with a broken leg, but fine otherwise. And you will find everything you need in there." She turned to look at the children, smiling. "As for you two, go wash your hands outback and I will prepare your food."

 

James hesitated and turned Q's face in his direction, understanding as soon as he looked him over. "It's normal."

 

“You're the first,” he hissed, turning redder still. “I don't want to talk about it and don‘t you dare use this against me.”

 

"There is nothing to talk about." James smiled at him. "Let me help you up and into bed." He hugged Q across his shoulders and helped him up. "Lucia, would it be too difficult to have some hot water?" He looked hopefully at the woman who was busy pouring soup into more bowls which it looked she was conjuring out of thin air.

 

"No problem at all, James." The woman smiled at him. "There are stairs up, leading to the three rooms, it's a shame but you will have to share a bed. The kids will take the other one."

 

"I can sleep on the floor. There is no need for a bed..." Q chirped and shrank when both Lucia and James glared at him.

 

"Don't be afraid of liking to sleep in another bed," James berated him as he carried him up the stairs. "And rest assured that I won't do anything to you, not because I don't find you attractive, but because it pains me that I am the first person who was ever been nice to you outside of Lucia and two orphans and you think you're having a thing for me."

 

"But I do... How do you call it? Have a thing for you!" Q tried to walk on his own.

 

Opening the door James saw the same room with a king sized bed he spent time back when he was here alone. Making Q lay on the bed he got the bowl with water and the towel and went to sit next to Q.

 

"I will have to take off your breeches and clean the ankle before I can bandage it." Lucia brought in at the same moment and put a jug of hot water next to the bed. Without another word she went out and silently closed the doors.

 

"It would be much easier if..." Q started his argument.

 

"Q, for a scientist and a witch, you are too bloody stupid. Nobody is chopping off your leg just because it's broken,” James said exasperatedly, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Bones can be put back—”

 

"Forget the bloody leg," he snapped, flinching and yelping in pain because of the sudden movement.

 

James rubbed his back and waited for the pain to subside. “Yes, of course I want you," he deadpanned. "I want to push you in the bed, strip you and have you whimpering and pleading under me. But—”

 

Q grabbed him and bumped their heads together, licking his lips. "I gave you my first kiss so you can have the rest."

 

Lucia tried really hard not to laugh, patting James' back. "Did I mention he never saw two people interacting beyond a hug?" She pinched Q’s cheeks, ignoring his glare.

 

“Is Q that much of a loner?" James asked, now obviously giving Q a massage – and wondering if Q even knew that he was getting a massage or if he had ever heard that word.

 

“Not willingly, no. It's just for being as smart as he is, left him bereft of other people's company. Myself and the kids excluded." Lucia smiled. “Breakfast will be waiting for you in the morning, so I bid you goodnight.”

 

“I wish I could stop making a fool of myself in front of you," he whispered, pushing his face in the pillow. “Was that not a kiss? Does that not mean that I want you to want me and have everything?”

 

James sighed, running his hand down his back. "You are so innocent that it hurts me to bring you in the real world."

 

Q looked so confused it was endearing to watch. "I know this world. I know most people interact more than I ever did or ever probably will." He finished lamely.

 

"Oh Q, darling there is no need for all this doubt." James took the towel and sank it into water. "It might sting a bit but I promise it will feel better afterwards."

 

“I only feel pain right now, Q admitted, biting his lower lip to the point of drawing blood.

 

James leaned forward and kissed Q's knee. "You'll interact with so many people that you'll forget about me."

 

"That is not true. How is it possible to ever forget y..... What the hell?" Q tried to grab his leg because now it was throbbing again.

 

"Distraction is the best way to set the broken leg straight." James gently patted the leg and bandaged it in the gauze provided.

 

Q wanted to kick James in the face. The man infuriated him so much! Why couldn't he be forward about anything? He was doing his bloody best to interact properly with him and make it clear that he wanted him and that he would not mind sharing the bed with him and all James did was use cheap tricks that hurt his heart to distract him. Admittedly, this distraction was needed because it was a painful process that Q had done it to countless animals, but he was still offended.

 

"Let's have more of the soup and some tea." James stood up. "I will be back soon, so don't you hop anywhere." He took the bowl with the water and went back to the main room.

 

“Well, aren’t you the funniest knight in existence?” Q sneered, slapping his chest a few times as if that got his heart to stop skipping beats. "And you stop it already. We're nothing but an assurance of his position in court," he whispered to his heart, hugging the cat instantly curling itself around Q. “But you like me, right?"

 

The cat started hissing at him and tried to swat at his face. Q groaned and released the cat which when ran and hid under the bed.

 

Suddenly the door swung open and Bond came inside carrying a tray with two cups and a bowl on it.

 

Q grumbled something and carefully rolled to his side, hiding under the blankets.

 

"She's wet," James said as he rolled his eyes, tugging Q in an upright position. "And here, Lucia also made you some tea."

 

"I don't need anything else from you. I am already in your debt too much for my liking. No need to have precious tea being wasted on me." Q wrapped the blanket tighter around himself. "You can share the bed with me. If you don't mind sleeping with a witch harlot as they always keep saying when I am around."

 

"Q if you are a witch or a harlot, then I am a king," James said patiently, tugging the blanket away from him. "And you are not in my debt."

 

"Your highness," Q said stubbornly.

 

"Q... Stop it!" James finally tugged the blanket away and leaned over the younger man. Those deep green eyes were gazing up at him with fear and some fondness.

 

“James, what are you doing?”

 

"Showing you what a real kiss is, you silly man," James breathed out, his warm breath making Q feel dizzy. "And also making you happy, I hope," he added, their lips brushing together.

 

Q frowned. "Don't force yourself." He closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out, James chuckling.

 

The blonde man continued to nip at his neck and was slowly inching towards his lips. Q closed his eyes tightly and waited, and waited, and waited. But nothing happened. Opening his eyes slowly he saw James looking down at him.

 

"Are you ready?"

 

Q only nodded while the other man leaned over him again and started devouring him like a man from a desert.

 

Q had no idea what was happening and was surprised that James' tongue was brushing against his inside his mouth. But he liked it, even if he felt dizzy. In fact, just to be sure that he wouldn't slip off the bed, he wrapped his arms around James' neck and held on to him tighter, pushing closer to him.

 

Soon enough the other man pulled back slightly and just grinned and dazed looking Q. The younger man slowly opened his eyes and looked at him, still holding onto him tightly.

 

"Why hello there, stranger!" James grinned when Q tried to hide his face in the crook of his neck. "Don't hide from me, Q. Let me look at you, flushed from kissing and so beautiful."

 

“I liked that kiss. Is that how people kiss?" Q muttered, smiling as he touched his lips, fascinated by how painfully numb they felt. "Thank you, even if you did it out of pity and -"

 

James growled and nipped Q's lower lip gently. ”I don't do pity."

 

“When why would you kiss me?” Q was still touching his lips but now he looking sad even if still a bit dazed.

 

The knight had enough of all the doubt and kissed Q again – rougher than the first time, but still gentle enough not to scare or hurt his younger lover. “Because I like you.”

 

Q licked his lips, trying to put his thoughts into order – any order that didn't connect with the fact that he had just kissed someone he liked for the first time. ”Are you sure? I will really turn into a witch if you're lying." He moved his face against James' neck and brushed his lips against it, tip of tongue poking out of habit.

 

James shivered, closing his eyes. "I have never been sure of anything more in my life, my innocent scientist."

 

"I must assure you, sir knight, that I am anything but innocent." Q lifted his hips lightly as he saw some women do when he once saw someone kissing in the barn he was passing by. Also the people were groping but he didn't dare to do that to the older man.

 

James chuckled, rubbing their noses. "My dear scientist, I will show you more if you are still interested on the day we do not have children possibly listening in." He pecked Q's nose and turned to glare at the door suddenly, laughing when he heard the children in question squeal and run away.

 

Q sighed. It seems like all of his tries to lure the knight into sleeping with him were always buster by most unfortunate events. Hopefully he will be more lucky when they reached the town with the doctor or maybe the Queen's court.

 

"Sleep now, Q. There is a long trip ahead of us, you should have a rest."

 

“Well, it's not like I'll do a lot a walking," Q said, yawning and scooting over to make more room from James. "But I like the way you taste," he shyly admitted, peeking over his shoulder at him.

 

James let out a groan and pressing his forehead against Q's back, trying really hard not to focus on his words. “Q, stop saying things like that before you regret it."

 

"Why would I regret it? You taste..." He trailed off and hummed licking his lips and clicking his tongue. "I have never tasted this. Maybe a bit like something I used to scare people with explosion and... Ah something else that I can't name. But I like it."

 

"It's mead, Q." James put an arm around Q's waist and gently pulled him against his own chest.

 

"I've never..." Q suddenly felt silent. "I guess you are tired of me always saying I've never done this or that." Q muttered something else but James didn't hear what.

 

"Sleep now, Q. Once we are out of his edge of the world into the civilization, I am sure there will be countless people to offer you all kinds of things on silver platters."

 

“But I just want you,” Q mumbled and fell asleep, flinching when he moved closer to James.

 

James groaned and held on tighter to Q. "You won't want me anymore after you move to my Queen's court."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are very sorry we are posting this a year later We've been busy >_<"   
> The story is actually finished and we hope it will take us less than a year to finish posting it. Thank you for sticking up with us!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are loved, appreciated and craved for like the very air we breathe.


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